Outcasts
by Lady Henrietta
Summary: A change of heart in the Fire Caves forces two people out of power. Is a quiet life possible? Can a relationship built on distrust be repaired? Winn/Dukat
1. It pours

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios. AU of "The Changing Face of Evil," "When it rains…" and "What You Leave Behind."

Outcasts

Chapter 1: …It pours

It had been two days since Solbor had told her whom the 'man of the land' really was, two days since the unfortunately all-too-diligent assistant had met his death, and two days since the last time that she had been able to look at herself in the mirror. Killing him had actually been an accident. She had meant the knife for Gul Dukat, but as she held it her assistant had turned too quickly, receiving a death that she had not wanted to give him.

As Kai Winn kept reading the Kosst Amojan, all she could think about was the high price she was adding to, the high price that these so-called other deities seemed to keep asking for. _The Prophets never asked for blood sacrifices or vast amounts of deception. Maybe I should've listened to Nerys_, Winn pondered that night while lying awake in her bed, alone, staring up at the ceiling. She wished that she could go back two weeks, to a time when she was naïve to all this, to the short time spent with a lover in blissful ignorance.

Her lover. There was the same nagging thought again. It was not fair, Prophets, Pah Wraiths, or whomever, it just was not fair. When for the first time in her life she had felt wanted by someone, and wanted by a higher cause, it was all for a rouse and a colossal betrayal. Or was it? She had already accepted him as the chosen one who would change the face of Bajor. He did not have to become her lover to get her attention. Why did he choose to reach her on that level? It definitely set off Solbor's investigation, and it only proved to be a liability to him. There was no logical reason why he would do such a thing.

An hour after she had gone to bed, a scream in the night interrupted her musings and she grabbed her robe, rushing to find its source. Adding to her disappointment, she found Dukat holding his face, and the text of the Kosst Amojan open. "I told you that only the kai could read that. Why didn't you listen? You've let your arrogance get in the way again," she stated acidly.

"I was curious, and now I've been blinded," he declared.

She needed to clear her mind, and it would be impossible to do so with him still there. "Leave," she said simply.

"Adami, I'll die out there. I can't see!" he protested.

Forgetting that he could not see her, she shook her head. "You'll be surprised with the generosity of the Bajoran people toward a poor blind beggar. You may return when the powers that be decide to restore your sight."

Knowing that there was nothing he could say or do at that moment to convince her otherwise, he merely nodded and stood, feeling his way toward the door. He stopped before exiting though. "Adami, I am sorry about your assistant. I never meant to mix up anyone else in this like that," he relayed.

She watched from the window as a guard showed him out through the courtyard, trying to keep her eyes fixed on him as long as possible. _Well that's the end of any sleep I was planning on_, she concluded as she sat down at the desk and began to translate the text.

Four days had passed and she could barely conceal her agitation that he had not yet returned. She had translated what she needed to and did not like what she had learned. The Pah Wraiths demanded a second sacrifice while in the Fire Caves. One question kept swirling in her mind as she stared out the window at the building black storm clouds. _What benevolent deities would ask for two murders without a choice?_

Then the rain began to pour, refreshing the deep green plants of the city. Night had fallen and most of her security table had gone home. She could not stop her mind from wandering. _Was he safe? Was he dry? Would he ever forgive her?_ She scolded herself for such thoughts, beginning to pace. After another few moments, she grabbed and donned a hooded gray rain cloak and snatched an extra one. Then she placed the book in a water-tight envelope before putting it into a shoulder bag and covertly left her estate.

Anyone back there would think that she had gone to bed. Holding the book and the other cloak closely, she began quietly lurking through the city, trying to peer over at circles of homeless and poor Bajorans keeping warm, while attempting to stay dry herself.

Dukat shivered around what he assumed was a fire pit circled by impoverished Bajorans, but he could see nothing to tell him otherwise. He was fortunate that one of the people, a man called Jonan Antos, had realized his condition immediately and invited him over to share the fire.

"You look like a man who's got a story. Been blind yer whole life?" the crotchety voice asked him.

"No," was Dukat's simple reply.

"I'm sorry. That's hard. Been to a doctor?" the old man inquired.

Dukat placed his hands by the heat. "No. I… saw something I wasn't supposed to see, and this 'blindness' is my punishment. It might be temporary."

"What the fire caves did you get yerself into? I'll bet I know. You saw a bit more of a lady than you should've," Jonan hypothesized.

"That wasn't exactly it, but my problem does involve a woman. I deceived her to reach a goal, but in the process I realized that I care for her. I don't know if she'll ever trust me again, let alone forgive me," Dukat admitted.

"She got a name?" the old man asked.

"Adami," Dukat answered.

The other man took a deep breath. "Nice name. You never know with women. Give her time and she might surprise you."

"I'm blind, wet, and stuck here with an optimist," Dukat muttered, looking up and letting the rain hit his face.

Jonan chuckled. "And I'm here with a comedian."

Winn had been unsuccessful in keeping the rain off as she shivered, looking from fire pit to fire pit. _Prophets or whomever wants to listen, where are you Dukat?_ Realizing that her hood drooped low enough to shield most of her face, she decided to approach the next fire pit.

An old Bajoran man with a thick gray beard greeted her. "Hello there, I'm Jonan Antos."

Winn thought quickly and arrived at a suitable solution. "Kora, Adami."

"Bad night to get stuck out in the rain, ma'am," he mentioned, wondering if this woman might know his other guest.

She nodded. "It's… been a long night."

He put a hand on her back, scooting her closer toward the fire. As she began to warm herself, he called over to five others, "We've got ourselves another stray. Mika, do we still have soup?"

A tiny woman in a shabby old red dress walked over with a cracked bowl and spoon. "Here ya go. Other man wouldn't take it. Said he had to digest his guilt first. Strange night," she commented, handing the bowl to Winn.

"Thank you, and yes it is," Winn responded. After a few bites, her eyes had adjusted to the dim light and she could see the back of a man standing by himself, having moved out of the group.

He blinked in the rain and jumped when Jonan tapped him on the shoulder. "We've got a new one, a lady," he informed Dukat.

The Cardassian in Bajoran guise nodded and then realized that a bright glow had entered his vision. Going from darkness to a blurry haze, his vision became sharper as he could make out shapes of people. He focused on a woman holding a bowl. As everything cleared, he recognized the hands holding the bowl and sauntered over to her.

"Adami," he stated.

She jerked her head up to see him and quickly remembered which name to say. "Anjohl, I thought I'd never find you. Here, this will keep you at least slightly dryer," she remarked, handing him a gray cloak.

"So this is the woman," Jonan said with a smirk. Dukat merely nodded and pulled her aside.

"You came after me?" he questioned quietly.

"I finished the translation," she told him, hoping to hide her real reasons. "Your sight has been restored?"

He nodded. "The Pah-rophets have seen fit to grant me back my sight." He had named the Prophets because Jonan had overheard the conversation.

She shivered involuntarily from the rain. "Oh Adami, you're cold. I thought you of all people would know not to go out in weather like this."

When he touched her face, she closed her eyes for a moment, not wanting to push him away. "I'm sorry about sending you out," she conveyed.

"And you were right about me being arrogant. I shouldn't have tried to read it," he said, leaning closer to her. Both moved simultaneously and the tender, lingering kiss was mutual.

She spoke when they had parted. "I don't know if I'll ever trust you, or if I can forgive you, but I need your help."

He took one of her cold hands in his and nodded. "Let's go then," he stated. Before leaving, he turned back to Jonan and thanked him for being hospitable.

Leaving the quiet city was not too difficult, but there were no streetlights to lead them as they headed out into the country in the direction of the mountains. Winn shivered again and Dukat watched her with concern. "I'm fine," she told him quickly.


	2. Trial by Fire

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 2: Trial by fire

They had a long walk to reach the mountains. All the while, Winn's mind was running amok again. _What am I doing? I'm leading him to his death. How can I do this? Yes he's a Cardassian who has taken far too many liberties with the Bajoran people, but I suspect his feelings for me are genuine. Is that why I feel guilty about this? There must be another choice._

A sunrise began as they continued walking. The clouds drifted away and the dark sky melted into an orange glow as the sun peaked over the mountains. Winn and Dukat were surprised when they came across a couple, sitting outside of a tent watching the sunrise.

"I can't believe you let me come with you. I betrayed you," the man mentioned.

The woman leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I love you. I hate what you've done, but I think both of us can do better. I'm willing to try again if you are."

Winn tried to ignore the couple as she and Dukat walked by silently, but their sincerity stuck with her. She was not the only one with much to think on. Dukat was wondering what sort of confusing mess the Pah Wraiths had gotten him into. The truth of the matter was that he had always sensed a higher calling to things. The Pah Wraiths had given him that opportunity, or so it seemed. During the Occupation, he had a special fondness for the Bajoran people, so much that Ziyal had been proof of it. Ziyal, a victim of a cause he had attempted to pursue, and the end to his hope for Cardassia. And then there was Jadzia Dax, another unfortunate casualty. Why were these new deities that he was trying to follow looking for such a high body count? Would they ask for Adami next? And why did they pick him? Perhaps they wanted to use his affection for the Bajoran people for some other purpose.

The climb was not too difficult, especially after they had found the trail. Once inside the caves, they removed their cloaks and Winn sat down to rest. "Adami, are you alright?" Dukat inquired.

_I'd rather he called me 'eminence,' but at the moment I'm too tired to care_. "I will be fine. It was just more of a hike than I planned on," she replied.

They continued walking until they entered a larger open area with a deep chasm. She watched with curiosity as he glanced at the chasm and frowned. "You look disappointed," she commented.

"I thought your people called these the Fire Caves. Well, I was expecting to see fire," he answered.

She smirked and opened the Kosst Amojan, reading a part aloud. Fire swirled up from the chasm and Dukat jumped back with wide-eyed surprise. She chuckled and he walked back over to her. "It would seem that much of what was considered mythology wasn't all that far off," he stated.

"Yes, I just wonder which mythology is the right one," she mused, glancing down at the book.

Suddenly everything froze around her and beings that resembled Kira Nerys and Captain Sisko appeared. "We are the Prophets and you do not have to do this," Kira relayed.

"How do I know you're really the Prophets? The Pah Wraiths already pulled that one," Winn questioned.

Sisko and Kira glanced at each other and then back to her. "She is linear. She does not understand. We offer you this choice," they began. To Winn's astonishment, she saw Dukat in his Cardassian form tied up to a stalagmite, and the Kosst Amojan floating by itself. "If you chose to follow the path that you now walk in, you will die a meaningless death. If you chose the path of reconciliation and atonement, Bajor may yet be saved and this evil can be stopped."

While Winn was faced with a decision, Dukat was given a different vision. Kira and Sisko stood next to him as they looked out upon a ruined, war-torn Cardassia. A wave of anguish washed over him as he bleakly at what was once his home. "We are the Prophets and we offer you this choice, to see Bajor become like your Cardassia, or to save it. You are of Bajor, but the wrong path will bring death to many," Kira explained.

"I only wanted to help Bajor. Are you telling me that this is what the Pah-Wraiths will do to it?" Dukat implored.

"You can change this future," Kira told him.

He looked past her, directly at Sisko. "What will happen to Adami?" he probed.

Sisko stepped over to him. "He is also linear. She has yet to make her choice, but your choice may persuade her. Do you choose reconciliation and atonement?"

"If you ask if I regret what the Pah Wraiths have had me do, and who has died because if it, then the answer is yes. Will you spare Adami?" he pursued.

"We do not ask for such sacrifices," Kira told him.

Then Dukat did the most humble thing of his existence, realizing that he had been wrong on a great many levels. He dropped to his knees. "Prophets, I ask to be forgiven," he requested. "I am not worthy to serve you."

"We see your sincerity, it is done," Sisko relayed.

Winn was still faced with her choices. "If you're the Prophets, why wait until now to speak to me?" she questioned.

Kira spoke. "You were never meant to be kai. Vedek Bariel was our desired choice, but you used evil means to achieve your goals. You were not who we wanted."

The other woman shivered at the cold, harsh words. "Then what do you want with me now?"

"If you make the wrong choice, all of Bajor will suffer. Let go of your pride, see your own deeds, and see the truth," Kira remarked, pointing back to Dukat and the book.

"He's a war criminal," Winn began.

"No more than you are. It was you who killed your assistant. Do you truly want this man's death on your hands as well?" Sisko questioned.

Did she? At one time there would have been no question. But now, it was as if he had changed her perspective in so many ways. She still let him call her by her given name. He was not the enemy that he once was. The years had changed them both and what she realized at that moment was that they had made him a better man in some ways, and her a dangerous, devious woman.

"I don't want him dead anymore," she whispered, not facing them. Then she brought her gaze back up. "I choose your path and rid myself of the pah wraiths. Tell me what I must do."

"Do you wish to atone? Do you wish for reconciliation and forgiveness? Or do you still seek power in spite of Bajor's needs?" Sisko asked her.

She had never seen her desire for power as less than to take better care of Bajor. But having the words presented to her in a different way, she realized that Kira had been right, she had been selfish and it was time to step down as kai. "I want to do what is best for Bajor instead of myself. I ask for reconciliation and forgiveness, though I see now that I have little claim to such things."

"And him?" Kira inquired, pointing to Dukat.

"Please don't hurt him. The pah wraiths seduced him before he had a chance to choose your path. He thought it was all a myth, and so did I for quite some time," she expressed.

"It is done. Your sincerity is noticeable," Sisko relayed.

"Thank you, Prophets," she stated.

Kira appeared on Winn's right. "There is one more thing you must know. Your vessel is a shared one."

Both Dukat's and Winn's visions evaporated, leaving them visibly shaken. Slowly they regained their bearings, seeing that they were still in the Fire Caves, and she still held the book. They tentatively faced each other. He still looked Bajoran, and he realized that she was still damp from being out in the rain.

She spoke first. "This was a bad idea that should never have gone this far."

He nodded. "We let the pah-wraiths deceive us because we wanted to believe that we were the ones to save Bajor and not the Emissary."

"We've been foolish," she concluded.

"What do we do now?" he asked her.

Walking over to the edge of the chasm, she closed the book. "I rid myself of the pah wraiths and all their trappings," she exclaimed, dropping the book into the flaming chasm and taking a few steps back.

Abruptly the flames shot up erratically and then the ground beneath them began to shake. "Perhaps we should've found a better way to dispose of that," Dukat commented.

As a second tremor hit, she grabbed his arm and shouted, "Run!"

They dashed out of the caves, not noticing the lone figure who had arrived late onto the scene. The real Captain Sisko had seen them throw the book into the chasm. He slapped his combadge. "Sisko to shuttle, one to beam up," he requested.

A vision from the prophets awaited him back on the loan shuttle he had taken. "Sarah, what was that?" he questioned.

"Benjamin," she said in her kind voice, "we sent you there in case they chose the wrong way."

"What will happen to them?" he inquired.

"They have much to learn, but you will see them again," she stated before the vision faded.

Sisko sighed and began to fly the shuttle. "Looks like I'm going to be stuck with those two for a long time."

The two in question had quickly made it down the path of the now rattling mountain, relieved to be on level ground. Winn shivered, wishing that her gold outfit was dry. Then she sneezed a few times. Dukat had fortunately grabbed both cloaks on their way out. "Here, and don't tell me you're fine. You keep shivering and neither one of us has time to be ill," he gently scolded.

She donned both cloaks and blinked at him. "I didn't ask you to look after me."

Instead of being exasperated at her, he smirked. "You're welcome."

They headed back to the city in silence until they reached the gate. "If anyone wants to know where we were, we took a walk and became lost."

"And after that?" he mentioned.

"I think it's time that you and I left Bajor for a while. And then I need to resign," she told him.

Upon their return to the estate, they read the news reports about the end of the war with the Dominion, and the damage to Cardassia. Dukat sat back in his chair, staring at the screen that showed him the same view of war-torn Cardassian that the Prophets had. Winn, seated in the chair next to him, placed a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry," she began.

He sighed heavily. "I fought so long for a Cardassia worth saving, and this is the end result. It's in shambles and that idiot Garek is running things. Everything, it all feels so worthless," he admitted.

She gave him a weak smile. "Everything around us is changing, isn't it? This seems to be the pattern of things, a new order, a new system, and the people you would least expect are left to pick up the pieces and make it work."

Nodding in agreement, he faced her. "So where do you want to go?"

"I think we should head back to Deep Space Nine for a while and then figure things out from there," she replied.

The two were able to leave on a small transport shuttle accompanied by only six other people. Knowing exactly who she was, everyone stared at her. "At least I still look Bajoran," Dukat whispered.

"Yes, that is good, considering that you're the most wanted man in the entire Alpha Quadrant," she whispered back.

They were on their way to Deep Space Nine and had been in space flight for most of the day when the shuttle lurched. "Pilot to crew. I apologize, but we have a few technical malfunctions. We'll try to get a transmission to-" the message was interrupted by a small explosion. Red alert lights flashed and an automated voice told them that there was a breach in the pilot's cabin.

"Do any of you know how to fix this?" Dukat asked the other passengers.

They all shook their heads. "We're just tourists," one of them answered.

Dukat jumped up to make sure that the pilot's section was sealed off. He was able to access an emergency panel to send a transmission. "This is the shuttle _Dakal_ to Deep Space Nine: we've had a major accident. Are there any vessels nearby that could take eight passengers? The pilot's dead," he explained.

(A/N: The switch from capital letters to lower case for the pah wraiths symbolizes a decline in their importance).

(My thanks to Lilith Kayden for reviewing :D)


	3. More adventures

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 3: More adventures

A new lieutenant answered Dukat. "There's a Ferengi ship near you. Try to hail them."

Dukat did as was suggested. "Shuttle _Dakal _to Ferengi vessel, our ship is badly damaged. Would you be so kind as to beam us aboard?"

One of the other passengers shouted, "Tell them we've got the kai with us."

Sighing, Dukat spoke again. "And one of our passengers is Kai Winn."

It was a small vessel with only three Ferengi on board. "I am Damon Brott, we will allow you to board, provided that you pay us for our inconveniences."

_This is why I really despise Ferengi_, Dukat thought to himself. "Alright then, we will pay you," he stated, hoping someone on board had funds of one form or another.

All eight of them were beamed aboard, leaving the dead pilot with the shuttle. As the Ferengi ship pulled away, the shuttle exploded. "Well that was a close call," Damon Brott pointed out.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Winn heard Dukat mutter.

Another Ferengi who had been at a control panel walked over to them. "I am First Officer Gant. We need to know where you were going so that we can determine how much payment will be needed. We don't usually take on passengers like this."

Winn decided to step out of the group. "Gentleman, surely a few days' worth of food, a small amount of borrowed blankets, and the use of one room for the evening would not cost too much. Consider our passage a gift to the Federation, seeing as we are all headed to Deep Space Nine," she told them.

Damon Brott thought quietly to himself before looking back at them. He folded his hands and walked around them, making a complete circle. "Since we are enroute to Deep Space Nine, I suppose that our fee could be… lessened."

Everyone was given food and blankets before being shown to a room on the small ship. All looked surprised as Winn joined them. "She shouldn't have to join us. She's the kai of Bajor," one of the tourists insisted.

Dukat looked over at her. "He's right, Eminence, you should be granted your own room."

She put her hands up dismissively. "I choose to stay with my people. This is what we have paid for and I refuse to pay out any more to those extortionists."

The next day all stood on the bridge and watched the stars go by. "Couldn't you people go somewhere else for a while? It's distracting to have you all up here and if we crash into something because one of you blocks my vision, I'll sue you for more latinum than you've seen in your whole life," Brott grumbled.

Just then an uncloaked Klingon bird-of-prey flew into view.

Gant and the third Ferengi, whose name was Vog, looked at their consoles in panic. "It's got two life signs, but it's armed and it's heading right for us!"

"Well raise shields, you idiots!" Brott ordered.

The Klingon ship fired on them twice, rocking the ship. "Shields are down to 72 percent, sir," Gant relayed.

"What do they think they're doing? This is an act of war!" Brott vexed.

"And they're hailing us," Vog mentioned.

"Put it through," Brott muttered.

On the viewscreen sat two young Klingon warriors, one holding an almost empty bottle of what could have only been bloodwine. "Co pla, intruders. We will eliminate the threat to the Klingon homeworld and your deaths shall be short."

The tourists talked among themselves. "I think they're adolescents."

"I think they're drunk," another tourist remarked.

"I think we'd better find a way to stop them before they blow us all to pieces," Dukat mentioned.

Winn walked over to him. "I have an idea, but if it doesn't work, we need to get out of here quickly."

The ship shook under another blast. "Shields at 45 percent," Vog relayed.

"I don't know how much of an option escape will be," Dukat whispered.

"Then I'll see what I can do," she stated before approaching the viewscreen. "We mean the great Klingon Empire no harm," she began. "If you destroy us, what proof will you bring back that you have stopped your so-called intruders?"

The Klingons looked at her thoughtfully and then turned to each other. "This female has a point. We could take them onboard as our prisoners. And then we could destroy the ship!"

It was not what Winn had in mind, but shortly she found the three Ferengi, the tourists, Dukat, and herself aboard the Klingon vessel. The Klingons wasted no time in unloading their weapons on the poor Ferengi ship. Brott was furious. "You owe me ninety bars of latinum for my ship!"

Laughing, the Klingons shook their heads. "We owe you nothing."

Dukat stood by Winn again. "One of us has to stop them," he whispered.

"We'd still need a pilot," she added quietly.

He smirked. "That won't be a problem."

"Are you saying that you know how to fly this thing?" Winn questioned.

"It's a long story," he relayed.

Moving too quickly for the intoxicated Klingons to follow, Dukat decked one Klingon in the back of the head and delivered a blow to the jaw to the other one. Pushing them out of the chairs, he took the pilot's seat and offered Winn the captain' s chair. The others dragged the Klingons to the ship's sickbay and left them there after using hyposprays to maintain their nap. The three Ferengi had stood by and watched, completely stunned.

Turning to them, Dukat had an idea. "Why don't you three make yourselves useful and monitor the systems while I fly this thing?"

"What if we don't want to?" Vog asked.

Dukat took a deep breath to mask his frustration. "Then you'd better hope that those Klingons are out cold until we reach Deep Space Nine. The longer we're out here, the sooner they'll wake up," he relayed.

At his persuasion the Ferengi sat at the other consoles and the bird-of-prey increased its speed. Later in the night when everyone else had found a place to sleep, Winn quietly joined Dukat on the bridge. Her noiseless entry was interrupted by a few sneezed though. He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow as she took a seat. "Adami, you should be resting like everyone else."

She waved his comment aside. "I've caught a cold, that's all. Tell me how you know about flying this ship," she requested.

He grinned. "So you came out here to satisfy your curiosity. And I thought for a moment that you wanted to keep me company."

"Not completely," she added with a smirk.

He sat back in his seat and faced her. "Very well," he paused to see that they were truly alone. "When the Klingon Empire and Cardassia were at war, my crew and I fought battles and ended up on a Klingon bird-of-prey after defeating the last residents. I learned how to fly it and we had a good weapon for attacking the enemy."

"So working in disguise is nothing new to you?" she teased.

"In my case it's been a means of survival," he explained.

The two sat quietly for a while, content to watch the stars go by, but she was curious about something. "Have you ever heard the expression, 'your vessel is a shared one?'" she inquired.

He faced her again, studying her for a moment. "It's actually a Cardassian saying. You'd say that to someone who is pregnant," he explained. "Where did you hear it?"

She schooled her features so as not to reveal her shock. _I'm pregnant? Were the Prophets serious about that? Oh dear, this could be a mess all too easily. How could this have- wait, I don't need to ask that. I know how and when. But now what?_ "It was just something I heard once on the Promenade on Deep Space Nine," she covered.

He did not fully believe her, but decided to let the matter drop, figuring that she would tell him what was really going on in her own time. She left after bidding him goodnight. The people had trouble navigating their way through the Klingon vessel and had chosen to sleep wherever they could find room. Winn had found a small room and had been able to make a hammock by tying a blanket to storage fixtures on opposite bulkheads. As she lied down and closed her eyes, her mind focused on the discussion with Dukat.

_What am I going to do about this? It's madness. I can't have Gul Dukat's child. If the Prophets were making a joke, I don't appreciate their sense of humor one bit. This is the consequence of our reckless actions and lust for power. But a child should not be punished for the deeds of its parents. Perhaps the Prophets know what they're doing and this is our chance to fix the problems of the past by making a better future. I don't know, but I'm tired of surprises_, she thought to herself as she drifted of to sleep.

In the morning Dukat enlisted the help of raktajino (Klingon coffee) to keep him away as he flew the ship. The others soon joined him just as what looked like a Starfleet shuttle dropped out of warp. "Eminence, they're hailing us," he mentioned.

They faced each other with a silent question and decided that it was best if she talked to them. The view on the screen was of a single crewman with dark brown hair in a Starfleet uniform, but it was the type that was colored at the shoulders instead of the standard mostly gray current uniforms used on Deep Space Nine.

The man seemed very surprised to see a room with Bajorans and Ferengi instead of Klingons. "Dare we ask what has befallen the Klingons?" the man joked in a smooth voice.

"They attacked us and destroyed our ship. We have temporarily commandeered their vessel," Winn promptly explained.

"And where are you all going?" the man inquired. Lieutenants' pips could be seen on his collar.

"We are on our way to Deep Space Nine," she replied. "Where are you from, Lieutenant?"

"I'm from Deep Space Nine, actually. I was just running a few missions to test the shuttle," he answered.

Dukat hit the 'mute' button and stepped over to her. "He's not who he says he is. The uniform is out of date. I suspect he's a Maquis, though I thought they had all been destroyed."

Winn nodded and resumed the conversation with the lieutenant. "We'll just be on our way then."

"I'd like to offer you a trade, before you go. I'm sure the Klingon Empire would want to stop somewhere closer than a space station to retrieve their vessel. Why don't we trade ships?"

She and Dukat exchanged glances and he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we really must be on our way," she stated before ending the transmission.

"Warp five," Dukat told the Ferengi.

Before they could get far, the shuttle fired at them and had a tractor beam on them. "Well? Don't you know how to get out of this?" Winn questioned Dukat.

"Normally I'd just use the cloaking device, but that's not possible this time," he said dryly.

"Why not?" she probed.

"There isn't one," he answered, scrambling at the controls, but failing to break the tractor beam.

Winn looked over at him incredulously. "Do you mean to tell me that those drunk Klingons stole the only bird-of-prey without a cloaking device?"


	4. The new order of things

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 4: The new order of things

"So it would seem," Dukat responded.

The shields did not hold and everyone was beamed aboard a larger ship that had not been detected on sensors. They were greeted by a dark-haired Bajoran woman in a Maquis uniform. "I'm Ro Laren. Who do we have here?"

The transport did not sit well with Winn and she almost lost her balance. Dukat caught her by the elbow. However, the events of the past few days were taking their toll on her and that light-headed feeling would not go away as she made an effort to stand up straight. She saw the worry in Dukat's eyes and turned her gaze to face Ro.

Winn spoke, drawing as much strength as she could. "I am the Kai of Bajor. This is my assistant. These others are tourists, and then we have the Ferengi and the Klingons," she stated.

Then her strength gave out and the world around her swirled into black oblivion. Dukat managed not to panic and only said, "The Eminence needs medical attention."

She woke to a bright light and a nurse's voice. "Dr. Lupo, she's regaining consciousness."

Winn blinked and tried to sit up. A hand was placed on her shoulder. "Easy now," said a blonde human nurse.

She sat up slowly and Bajoran faced a man with black curly hair and kind hazel eyes. "Lupo Siran, is that you?" she asked.

The man smiled warmly. "Yes, Adami, it is." Then he turned to the nurse. "Ensign Farro, would you please excuse us for a moment. And please tell her assistant that everything is fine."

After the nurse left, Lupo turned back to his patient. "I thought it best that he waited outside."

"I understand. Could you tell me what happened?" Winn inquired.

Lupo nodded and hit a few buttons on a console. "What I have to say doesn't need to be overheard by the security system. They'll just think it's another glitch," he began. "Did you know that your assistant is actually a Cardassian?"

She nodded. "It's a long story, but yes. How did you find out?"

"I scan all the newcomers to see that they don't bring any diseases." Lupo sighed heavily and took hold of one of her hands. "This isn't easy to say. You've been my friend for a long time and usually I don't question your judgment, but a Cardassian? You fainted because you were pushing yourself to exhaustion. It's important that you take care of yourself, especially now."

"Why now?" she probed.

"Because you are with child. When I scanned you, I also discovered that the baby is half Cardassian," he paused and watched her process the new information. She simply looked ahead calmly. "You don't look so surprised," Lupo remarked.

"That's because I suspected as much," she relayed.

"Been sneezing already?" Lupo asked. She nodded and he continued. "From what I can tell, the baby is healthy, but your complete term will be closer to six and a half months because the baby is a hybrid. You're also two months along."

She nodded and folded her hands in her lap. Then she faced him again. "You're not going to tell them about my assistant, are you?" she probed.

He set his tricorder down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't do that without talking to you first. For some reason, which I am dying to know, you want to keep him around."

"Thank you, Siran. It's… complicated. We were both misdirected in a quest for something greater and I believe that we will work through our trials together. Our situation developed through a deception, but I have come to care for him, and I know that he cares for me. He will need my protection as well," she explained.

The man sat down beside her. "I still think it's a bad idea, you being involved like this. I should've known though that you would never do anything the easy way. Do you remember when we were children and you had to climb over that wall?"

"It was my duty to know what was on the other side. How was I supposed to know that there was actually a gate through all that moss?" she reminded.

"And you talked your way out of trouble more times than anyone else I've ever known," Lupo teased.

She smiled warmly at him. "No matter the circumstances, it is good to see you again, Siran."

"You too, Adami. Speaking of situations, you need to know what happened to everyone that you came with. Both the Klingons and the Ferengi have been placed in the brig. Don't worry; they're not in the same cell. As for the tourists, most of them want to leave so that they can return home. However, Ro refuses to let them leave because the security risk is too great," Lupo explained.

Winn sighed and shook her head. "Siran, how did you ever end up here?"

"That is actually one of the easier stories. I was the doctor on the _Nakon_ and what was left of the Maquis commandeered the ship. They needed a doctor, so here I am. It was either this or they'd kill me," he admitted. "By the way, Ro wants to speak with you, since you are the kai."

She stood and headed for the door. "I plan to resign soon, but for the meantime I hope it works to our advantage. You know very well that we can't stay here and I _will_ find us a way out, you included. You are my oldest friend and I don't plan on leaving you here to rot."

He smiled kindly. "I don't know if it'll work, but I do wish you good luck, my friend," he told her just before turning the sound back on.

Outside of sickbay she met Dukat. "How is everything?" he questioned.

She put up a hand as if to dismiss his worry. "I'm fine for the most part, just tired. Do you know where we are?"

"I used an access panel to see if there was a map. Apparently we're on a space station made from several shuttles. They have a docking bay with two standard shuttles and now the Klingon bird-of-prey. Oh, and Ro Laren wanted to speak with you," he relayed.

As they walked through the narrow hallway and past an officer repairing a conduit, she spoke. "How are you holding up?"

He waived off her concern. "I'll manage. We can't stay here though. The tourists are angry and don't want to listen. The Klingons woke up in the brig and started verbally harassing the Ferengi, and then there's the food. All they have here is rations at the moment because they used their replicators to power other systems," he mentioned.

She smirked. "I'm sure someone here makes hasperat."

"Actually I do," said a voice from behind them. They turned to see Ro Laren.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Winn inquired.

Ro nodded. "Yes. You and your assistant can follow me," she stated. She brought them to her small quarters and offered them seats in the two black cafeteria chairs. "My replicator's the only one that works," she elaborated, offering them hasperat.

"Thank you. Now would you kindly tell us what this is all about?" Winn asked.

"Kai Winn, some of the more religious Bajorans here want you to stay with us. It would also help those that are thinking of leaving the Maquis if they thought that our efforts were blessed by the Prophets through you," Ro explained.

Winn sighed heavily, glanced at Dukat, then returned to Ro. "This war you're fighting no longer has an enemy. The Occupation ended years ago. The war with the Cardassians and the Dominion ended several days ago. You can all go back and live again, don't you see?"

One look at Ro's face conveyed that all pleasantries were gone as she glared at her guests. "Get out," she told them bluntly.

Alarmed at the change in their hostess, Winn's brow furrowed. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said get out!" Ro snapped. "I thought you of all people would understand our cause and be willing to help. You two are confined to quarters. You're not going to change my mind, or anyone else's for that matter. You may have a few kernels of respect from some of the people here, but nobody's going to bow at your feet or stand at your beck and call."

Winn's frustrations over the past few days seemed to jump exponentially. She took a deep breath and stood slowly. "I have had enough of all this. All we wanted to do was take a vacation for a couple of weeks. Instead our original shuttle exploded, we had to barter for a room with the Ferengi, we were captured by drunk adolescent Klingons, and now you're telling me that we're stuck here. I am through with this. We want to leave, now," Winn articulated in a low, even tone.

"You're not leaving. I don't care if your pal here's the Emissary. You two can either cooperate, or spend the rest of your lives in our brig. But you do not have authority over me!" Ro exclaimed through clenched teeth, standing almost nose to nose with Winn.

Dukat stepped in between them. "Ladies, perhaps we should go our separate ways and live to fight another day," he recommended, "either that or shoot to kill."

Winn looked over at him and acquiesced. "Let's go then." He led her to the two rooms that they had been given. In their separate rooms, both had the same idea and said a few prayers to the Prophets. As they prepared for bed, each hoped that the next day would seem brighter.

(My thanks to TheVulcanPrincess for reviewing :D)


	5. Sacrifice

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 5: Sacrifice

Two guards had been posted at the doors of Winn and Dukat under Ro's orders, making certain that the two did not try to escape. Lupo had overheard about the previous day's incident from a young Maquis recruit who had come into sickbay with a toothache after breakfast the morning after their arrival. Lupo grabbed a specific med-kit and headed out to see an old friend.

The guard in front of Winn's door eyed Lupo suspiciously. "What business do you have here?" he demanded.

Fortunately Lupo had an easy answer. "Kai Winn was in sickbay yesterday and I simply wanted to check on her health and see that she was following my directions."

"Very well," the guard grumbled. He stepped aside and Lupo knocked on the door.

The rooms on their part of the ship were from an old Bajoran ship with doors that locked instead of the motion sensing doors. They were Spartan, with only a carpet, one narrow cot-like bed, a two-foot high storage unit for clothes, one skinny chair, a rickety table, and a week's worth of rations in a box. Winn had been in prayer all morning after consuming her rations and was startled by the knock.

She went to the door and was surprised to find Lupo standing there. "Doctor, what is this about?" she inquired.

"I wanted to see how you were doing today," he replied.

She stepped aside so that he could enter and then shut the door so that the guard could not see what was going on. He removed a device that resembled a tricorder from his med-kit, but with the simple push of a button, the audio security system had been disabled. Then he switched the device back to its scanning capabilities.

"How are you, Adami?" he inquired. When she hesitated, he told her about the audio system being disabled. "And they haven't had time yet to place security cameras in this room."

"At least that's one good thing. I'm frustrated Siran. I want out of here," she expressed.

He sighed heavily. "I know, and I think I can help you. You see, this is no normal med-kit," he paused and showed her a few devices she had not seen before. He held up two metallic circular pins. "These are site-to-site transport devices, but they don't work in this wing. Here is my plan: If one person can get aboard the Klingon bird-of-prey, that person can transport the tourists and the others in the brig to the ship. I think your assistant might be able to do that if I can get him out of that room. Then I will find a way to free you by distracting the guards."

"Are you certain that this will work, Siran? What about you? This is no place for you to stay," she mentioned.

He put up a hand. "I will handle my own part in this. First, I need to get your assistant out."

Before he left, she placed a hand on his forearm. "Be careful."

Nodding, he exited, intending to visit the other room. "I scanned this man yesterday and he appeared to have just gotten over the Bandai flu, but I need to double check that there is no chance of his possibly passing something along to anyone else," Lupo explained, knowing that there was no such thing as the Bandai flu.

The guard let him pass and he deactivated Dukat's audio security system as well. "Doctor, is something wrong with her?" the other man inquired.

Lupo shook his head. "No, but you two have to get out of here." He handed Dukat the sight-to-sight transporter pin. "I'll get you far enough out to where you can transport to the bird-of-prey. You need to beam your group from the brig to the ship."

"What about Adami?" Dukat questioned.

"I gave her a sight-to-sight transporter device too. I'll help her get into the range of it," Lupo relayed.

Dukat was not used to the receiving end for an escape plan. "How do you plan to make all this work?"

Lupo sighed and put his tricorder back into the med-kit. "You're going to have to trust me."

The doctor stepped out to he guards, motioning for Dukat to follow. "I need to get this man to sickbay immediately. There is a chance that he could be contagious," Lupo relayed.

The guards allowed them to pass and Lupo asked the nurses to leave as he entered sickbay with Dukat. He quickly turned off the sound again and began to scan Dukat. "You should be able to transport back to the Klingon ship from here. I'm going to shut off the video camera. The sound is already off. They will probably suspect something this time will all the supposed glitches I've been causing, but it doesn't matter anymore."

Lupo made it look as though he was reaching for more tools in his med-kit on the console when he shut off the security system. "Get Adami out of here," Dukat instructed before transporting.

Dukat reached the console, checking the sensors to see where everyone was located. The prisoners could be beamed out directly, but Winn was out of transporter range. _I suppose I'll have to sit here and wait then_. As the disguised Cardassian powered the Klingon vessel, he wondered how many people Lupo had helped because the doctor seemed to have a more solid escape plan than most people would. Lupo had taken his med-kit and headed back to help Winn, but he had forgotten that a scan of Dukat was out in his sickbay.

Winn had almost dozed off in the chair when a knock at the door startled her. She walked over and found Lupo standing at her door. He entered, med-kit still in hand, not shutting the door. "Doctor, have you found something else?" she asked, knowing that the guards could hear them.

Lupo removed a tricorder and took a few readings. "It is as I suspected. Eminence, you'll forgive yet another intrusion, but you must come with me to sickbay. You have the Bandai flu, as does your assistant. This flu can trick normal scanners in the early stages. I must get you to sickbay before it becomes contagious," the doctor explained.

The guards seemed satisfied with his explanation and let him lead Winn to sickbay. However, they were stopped in the hallway by his nurse. A growing number of other people on the station stood behind her. "You knew," the woman began, "you knew that her assistant was a Cardassian. You should've looked at your own scans further because he's also Gul Dukat! You've probably already helped him escape. She's been collaborating with him and now you're helping her too," she accused.

Winn and Lupo began to take a few steps backward. "It's not what it appears, truly. Whatever you saw, you must've been mistaken. I would not betray the Bajoran people," Winn tried to protest.

"Let's put them in the brig!" someone at the back of the group shouted.

"This way," Lupo whispered, grabbing Winn's arm and pulling her down a few hallways.

"What will we do?" Winn questioned.

"I'm going to get you out of here any way I can," Lupo answered.

They stopped by a window, nearly breathless. "I can't keep this up much longer," she told him.

He nodded. "Try the site-to-site transporter."

She attempted to activate it, but there was only a crackling sound. Suddenly the orange stream of a phaser blast shot past them, making a dark smudge on the wall. "We're still out of range," she concluded.

Lupo took her arm again and led her down a deck, to the torpedo bay. He dashed over to one of the consoles and accessed the primary systems. "We've go one last trick. If I can disable primary systems for a few minutes, then you can beam out of here. As soon as they system shuts down, you need to leave the area."

As he quickly hacked into the main settings, she looked down the way they had come. Then a realization struck her as she turned back to him. "If you shut down the primary systems from here, they'll know where you are."

He spoke, not looking up at her. "Yes, but hopefully they will not know where you are."

She walked back over to him. "Siran, I can't let you sacrifice yourself for me. I've got enough blood on my hands without adding yours."

"Adami, if you don't go and they find out what I know, there's no telling what harm they could do to you," he attempted to persuade her.

Taking a deep breath as she heard footsteps, she nodded. "Alright. I don't like this one bit, but I'll go."

She pressed the transportation device while running through another corridor. As the world around her turned into a blue shimmer, she heard weapons firing and a shout that sounded like Lupo. Winn materialized on the bridge of the Klingon vessel. "What did you do to the Klingons?" she asked Dukat.

He looked her over closely with relief that she seemed unharmed. "They're unconscious, and they should stay like that until we're at Deep Space Nine," he relayed, setting the course to Warp Five. "I'm- we're glad that you are safe, Eminence. We sensed weapons fire as you were beamed aboard.

"Dr. Lupo was not able to join us," she relayed quietly, not facing him.

While Dukat and the Ferengi flew the ship, Winn sat quietly in the captain's chair, thinking about her friend. She swallowed the urge to cry when she considered that they had probably killed him for treason. Dukat looked back at her and saw something in her countenance. "Eminence, perhaps you would like to pray for our journey?" he encouraged.

The small smile on her face was one of relief when she stood. "Of course. Thank you for reminding me," she stated before leaving the room for some place quiet and unpopulated.

She found the room with her make-shift hammock again. Out of everyone's earshot, she let the tears slide down her cheeks. In a voice that barely sounded like hers, she asked, "Prophets, watch over the soul of Lupo Siran. He died trying to do more than I've ever been willing to. Keep us safe and our trip uneventful as we try to reach Deep Space Nine. May the Emissary have mercy on us for the harm we've done." Then she began a death chant for Lupo.

Dukat found her still in the alcove roughly two hours later. "Adami," he began.

She turned to face him. "He died because of me."

Gently Dukat reached out and touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"I'm getting tired of the body count that seems to be following us," she relayed.

He smiled calmly. "Then I have some good news. We'll reach Deep Space Nine in a few hours."


	6. Questions

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 6: Questions

The Klingon ship dropped out of warp, wandering into hailing range. An unfamiliar black-haired ensign appeared on the screen. "Welcome to Deep Space Nine. How may we help you?"

Winn stood and faced the young Bajoran woman on the screen. "We have had quite a trip trying to get here. We would like to dock our ship and vacation here for a while."

Blinking, the woman stared at Winn and the other Bajorans. "Kai Winn, I didn't realize it was you. I'm sure the Emissary will want to greet you when you dock. Is there anything more you need?"

"Just room and board, thank you," she responded.

As the screen faded and they neared the docking port, Dukat leaned toward Winn. "Explaining the Klingons is going to be interesting."

One of the Ferengi had overheard. "You still owe us compensation for our ship," Damon Brott reminded.

Dukat rolled his eyes and Winn sighed. "I promise that you will be reimbursed for your loss _after_ we dock," she relayed.

Sisko met them as they passed through the circular entryway and stepped onto the carpeted deck. "Kai Winn, this is a surprise. Something tells me we have a lot to talk about," he commented, looking from her to Dukat.

_He knows_. Dukat stepped back into the ship to retrieve two groggy Klingons. For fear of having Dukat recognized, Winn explained the Klingons. "These two beamed us on board before blowing up the Ferengi vessel. They were intoxicated and militant, therefore it was important to keep them sedated."

"Why were you aboard a Ferengi vessel in the first place?" he inquired as a few security guards took the Klingons to the brig.

She folded her hands in front of her, beginning to explain. "The shuttle we were on had some sort of accident and the pilot was killed. We needed to leave the ship as soon as-"

Vog interrupted her. "Sisko, we want to be paid for our ship. Also, the passage of these people and the resources they used-"

"Will you shut up!" Dukat barked, having lost his patience with the Ferengi.

Though Sisko did recognize the voice, he chose to confront his day one problem at a time. "Why don't we get everyone settled and then we can discuss this properly?" he suggested.

Winn smiled. "I quite agree. My assistant and I should not need more than a two-room suite and a change of clothes."

Her humble tone surprised him, but he chose not to show it. Something had changed. For the first time since he had met her, the voice did not sound like a skilled politician: it sounded real. "Colonel Kira will be glad to see you, I'm sure," he commented.

The kai took a deep breath. "I would like to see her as well, but privately."

While the tourist were using their vacation and a suite was being located for Winn, Sisko spoke with Chancellor Martok about the Klingons and the bird-of-prey. "From what I understand, they were joy-riding and destroyed a Ferengi vessel," Sisko relayed.

"I do apologize for the inconvenience they've caused. We will send someone to retrieve them and the ship. Tell the Ferengi that my government will pay for their loss, without bargaining. Also, do tell the kai that we're sorry for any trouble they caused her. Those p'taks will learn that glorious victories only come from honourable battles," Martok expressed.

"Thank you, Chancellor. How is managing the empire?" Sisko asked.

Martok smiled on the small screen. "With Worf around and the upheaval some of the more prestigious houses have been causing, it's never boring."

Sisko chuckled. "Neither is managing this station."

Once he had spoke to Martok, the Ferengi arrived, followed by Winn. "We would like our payment in bars," Gant stated, looking back at Winn.

Sitting back at his desk, Sisko picked up his baseball and rolled it in one hand. "Gentlemen, stop badgering the kai. She does not have to pay you. The Klingon government has volunteered to pay for your damages, at a flat rate that is non-negotiable," Sisko began, handing them a PADD with the amount listed.

"No bidding? No haggling? What kind of deal is this?" Damon Brott argued.

Sisko smiled. "Something your recent Grand Negus Rom would approve of."

The Ferengi left the room in a huff, allowing Winn to take the chair in front of Sisko's desk. She glanced over her shoulder and turned back to Sisko, smirking. "I have never been so glad to be rid of anyone."

He chuckled. "Lousy traveling companions?"

"You have no idea. We were tempted to just leave them with the Klingons," she admitted wryly.

"What happened out there?" he questioned.

She looked refreshed, having showered and dressed in clean gold robes. However, fatigue lingered in her eyes. "Our first shuttle had some sort of accident, as we told your people. The Ferengi beaming us aboard was an emergency situation. Then, we were attacked by two glory-seeking drunk, adolescent Klingons. We convinced them to beam us on board. Since there were only two of them, we knocked them out after they destroyed the Ferengi vessel. Then we were captured by the Maquis."

"Didn't that ship have a cloaking device?" he probed.

"Those two idiots had stolen the only ship without one. Ro Laren is in charge of them. She wanted me to back her religiously. When I protested, she confined my assistant and myself to quarters while placing everyone else in the brig," she paused to explain approximately where the station was located and what it was made up of.

"I'll have to check the navigation log in the Klingon vessel for the Maquis' location. How did you escape?" he asked.

She looked down for a moment, collecting herself. Then she stood and paced slightly. "Their doctor was an old friend of mine. He sacrificed himself so that we could escape."

In the years he had known her, it was the first time he had seen her so emotionally unguarded. She sniffed slightly, then sneezed five times in a row. He handed her a tissue. "I'm alright, thank you," she told him, noticing his concerned gaze.

"You've changed," he told her as she returned to the chair.

She gave him a small smile. "I should hope so. I need to ask your forgiveness. I have been cruel and hostile to you because I was jealous."

"Forgiven. And I could've been more helpful to you, but I was probably still annoyed that I wasn't working with Bariel," he admitted. Then he sat up straighter and shifted gears. "Now onto another matter, the Bajoran government thinks you're missing, by the way."

She placed a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. "I told them I was going on a vacation. I suppose I had better fix this as soon as possible." Then she watched him slowly for a moment. "I wanted you to know what I intend to resign as kai."

He stared at her, wide-eyed. "You've taken great lengths to secure this position. Why give it up now?"

Standing, she resumed her pacing. "I've… gotten myself into a mess. The truth is that Nerys was right and I should never have been kai. The Prophets finally spoke to me and I understand that I have not behaved as they wanted a leader of Bajor to behave. I have some personal matters that must be taken care of. Bajor deserves someone whose heart is in the right place from the start."

Her humility still surprised him. Now was the time for him to ask the more difficult question. "Kai Winn, why is Gul Dukat your assistant, and what the hell is he doing as a Bajoran?"

She took a deep breath, still pacing. "The circumstances have to do with why I must resign. I promise you that, though things may look suspicious, both of us have reformed."

"Why is he with you though? You could've left him somewhere else," Sisko pointed out.

In pacing she had folded her fingers together, absently resting them on her abdomen. Abruptly realizing what she was doing, she moved her elbows forward so that her hands were in front of her. Her actions only intrigued him more. He could count on one hand the times he had seen this woman visibly nervous. "It's complicated. Just understand that I am trying to do the will of the Prophets, and so is he. The situation has more involved than I can divulge at the moment."

He was not satisfied. "But what about-"

"Kira to Sisko," the intercom broke in.

"Sisko here, what's going on, Colonel?" he questioned.

"I've caught a Cardassian scum bag at the temple who's well overdue for a stay in the brig," she replied.

"I've already explained that I was only going there to pray," Dukat's voice complained.

"I told him to stay put," Winn muttered quietly.

"Wait for us. We'll be right there, Sisko out," he stated.

(My thanks to excessivelyperky for reviewing :D)


	7. Confession

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 7: Confession

Sisko and Winn arrived in front of the temple and passed through the doorway to find Kira holding one of Dukat's arms behind his back, pressing him against the wall. "Why couldn't I just take him to the brig?" Kira demanded, seeing them.

"Because there are things we need to discuss," Sisko responded.

Winn crossed her arms, walking over to Dukat. "What part of 'stay put and keep a low profile' has eluded your understanding?" she probed, irritation in her voice, but not anger.

The color drained out of Kira's face as she looked back at the kai. "You knew about this?"

Facing Kira, she nodded. "Child, I would like to explain things to you, but this is not the place."

The colonel nodded, concern for her kai's sanity building. "Does this mean you'll let me go?" Dukat inquired.

Kira tightened her grip on his arm. "Nice try. We'll deal with you later."

As she pressed him further against the wall, he moaned as everyone heard a popping sound. "That, Major, was my shoulder," he growled.

"Its 'Colonel,' and I don't care if it was your head," she spat.

Dukat was led to a cell and the armed security guards were assigned to watch him. Before the others left, Winn approached the cell. "I'm sorry about this. I'll get you out of here."

He sat back on the bench, leaning against the wall. "Did you really think that people like us had a chance at living a normal life?" he asked her.

She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I had hoped as much," she added quietly.

When Sisko, Kira, and Winn were standing outside of the brig, Winn spoke. "You don't have to leave him in there."

"You'll forgive my caution. Experience has taught me not to trust that man," Sisko relayed.

"Would someone tell me what this is all about?" Kira requested.

Winn nodded. "Come with me, child."

Sisko headed back to work while the two women entered Winn's suite. "Tea?" the kai offered, stepping over to the replicator.

"No, thank you," Kira declined, shaking her head.

Holding a steaming cup of Bajoran jumja tea, Winn seated herself in a gray chair across from Kira, who had selected the couch. While Kira waited patiently, Winn blew over the tea before sipping it. "You want to know why," she assessed.

Kira became animated, gesturing with her hands. "What possessed you to become involved with Gul Dukat? And whose idea was it to disguise him as a Bajoran?"

"The idea was his. The last time I visited the station, he found me, disguised as one of our people. I had no idea that it was him. I was disenchanted with the Prophets and looking for something more. Do you remember when we spoke last?" Winn mentioned.

"Yes. I suggested that you resign," Kira recalled.

Winn took another sip. "That is exactly what I'm doing. Dukat and I were both looking for a cause. We thought we had found it, until the Prophets showed us the error of our ways."

Frustration was still evident on Kira's face as she stood. "That still doesn't explain what he is doing here now, with you! How could you just betray the Bajoran people?"

Sighing heavily, Winn closed her eyes for a moment. "Child, it has been a very long day. We escaped the Maquis and an old friend of mine is most likely dead," Winn explained, as she had to Sisko, how they had arrived at the Maquis space station.

"So you justify an affair with Dukat by resigning?" Kira seethed.

"It wasn't exactly an affair. That's where it becomes complicated. By resigning as kai, I am not betraying the Bajoran people, but saving them. That's really what I wanted to discuss with you. I feel that you have a heart for the interests of the Bajoran people, and you are receptive enough to the Prophets to become kai."

Kira stared at her incredulously. "Me? I could never handle that kind of leadership. I'm a soldier. I've shed blood. I don't have any training!" she protested.

Winn smiled kindly. "And that is exactly why you would be good for the job. You have a fresh perspective and regarding the politics, you're a blank slate. You would undergo training, if elected."

"It still doesn't answer the question. Why is Gul Dukat still with you?" Kira pursued.

Winn had not even tried to answer the question for herself. _Why is he still with me? Because, despite all reason, I want him with me. Our destinies have become intertwined and we need each other_. "You won't like my answer. He and I need each other."

Furry and confusion sat in the colonel's eyes and her volume increased at each point that her speech brought up. "That doesn't make any sense! This man married a Bajoran woman and fathered a daughter during the Occupation, he seduced my mother, he tried to seduce me! He even fathered a child with a married Bajoran woman while masquerading as a religious cult leader! Why would you…" Kira trailed off as Winn began sneezing.

The blonde woman had managed to fight it somewhat when speaking with Sisko, but the day was having its affects on her and she could no longer control it. Kira replicated a tissue box for her. After a while the sneezing subsided. _I didn't know she had allergies. I haven't seen anyone sneeze like that since..., no, it can't be. Can it?_ "Kai Winn, are you pregnant?" Kira asked in a softer tone.

Winn's answer came in the pale look on her face, as well as her silence. Her eyes focused on her tea as she finished it. Slowly she looked back up to meet Kira's questioning gaze. "Child, I know that this makes very little sense to you. It came as a shock to me. I have made my peace with the situation though."

Kira's eyes flashed with certainty and relief. "He knows, so he's forcing you to stay with him! I knew he was using something to"-

"I haven't told him," Winn broke in.

"Then why keep it? If it's Dukat's, why not end it?" the younger woman suggested.

"It's not possible. First of all, you know better than I do how interconnected the blood vessels are between mother and child. Secondly, I was denied this chance earlier in life. Perhaps the past generation can atone by making the future generation better," Winn explained.

Kira massaged her temples. "This is crazy," she said simply.

"Are you angry with me, child?" Winn inquired.

Resting her elbows on her thighs, Kira slumped forward. "No, I'm a little disappointed, but not angry. I think you're out of your mind, and this whole thing is psychotic. But I'm not angry. What will you do when you resign as kai?"

"I don't know," Winn replied quietly. Suddenly her stomach growled. "It's been such a long day. I don't think I've eaten since I left the Maquis."

"In that case, you can rest up and we'll deal with this in the morning?" Kira suggested, standing and walking toward the door.

Winn stood to stop her. "Wait, I can't just leave him in the brig all night."

Kira sighed, knowing that allowances had to be made sometimes. "I'll see that he eats, and that Dr. Bashir looks at his shoulder."

The other woman smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, child."

(My thanks to excessivelyperky for reviewing :D)


	8. Unmasking

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 8: Unmasking

Kira headed to sickbay to locate Dr. Bashir. She found him examining the large ears of one of their Ferengi guests. He set the tricorder down on the table and took a step back. "Finished. How does that feel?"

The Ferengi shook his head around. "Better. Those Maquis should get a refund on whoever sold them their information on Ferengi physiology."

"Julian, could I borrow you for a minute?" the colonel asked.

He turned to face her. "Of course, Nerys." They stepped into his private office. "What's up?" he probed.

"You're not gonna believe me," she began, perching herself on his desk. "Gul Dukat is sitting in our brig."

Bashir stared at her, perplexed. "What's he doing here?"

"It's a long story. I need you to give him a checkup, and fix his shoulder. I sort of dislocated it when I arrested him," she relayed.

The doctor snorted. "I have one question. Why are you trying to help him after giving him what he deserves?"

"Because Kai Winn wants me to," Kira admitted flatly.

"I'll see what I can do," Bashir commented as he took a med-kit and left sickbay.

Dukat stood when Bashir entered he brig. "I need to examine him," the doctor told the guards. They let down the force field and he stepped inside. Setting his black med-kit on the bench, he removed a few tools.

"I didn't expect to see you again," Dukat admitted.

"Likewise," Bashir replied. He ran the tricorder over the other man and noticed what Kira had told him. Then he set the device back down. "I need to pop your shoulder back into place. It'll probably hurt."

"I've had worse," Dukat stated dryly.

Bashir grabbed hold of his arm and with a few quick motions, and Dukat's painful outburst, the shoulder went back into place. "I'm also supposed to make sure you eat," Bashir remarked.

Dukat sighed, tired of this guest. "Fine. How long do I have to remain here?"

The doctor replicated beef stew with vegetables and handed it to the Cardassian. "That's between Colonel Kira and Captain Sisko."

"That doesn't surprise me," he grumbled.

"I think the kai wants you out," the other man relayed.

At the mentioning of Winn, Dukat seemed to perk up. "Is she alright?"

Bashir blinked as his concern. "I assume so. Why wouldn't she be?"

"The trip was hard on her. I suggest that you pay her a visit soon," Dukat suggested.

There was more to it than meets the eye, Bashir was sure. "I suppose I could see her in the morning."

"Good," Dukat responded with a nod as the doctor left.

Bashir stopped at Quark's for a quiet drink on one of the upper levels. As he took his glass to a table, he spotted Kira as she looked around the room. "Waiting for someone?" he inquired.

"Hello, Julian. Actually I was looking for Sisko. I asked him to meet me. It's about our current prisoner," she remarked.

The doctor pulled up a chair. "I just had the strangest conversation with Gul Dukat," he began.

"Oh? What about?" Sisko asked, having spotted them and walked over.

"He wanted me to check on the kai," Bashir told them, leaning in slightly. "Something about the day being hard on her."

"She's pregnant," Kira blurted out absently.

Sisko had just taken a drink and at her words he spat it back out. "She's what?"

"Pregnant. But apparently she hasn't told him," Kira whispered.

Setting his glass on the table, Sisko scooted closer. "She probably told you this in confidence. Why tell us?"

"Because I thought knowing might help in deciding what to do with Dukat. First of all, I think we should get rid of that Bajoran skin he has and make him a Cardassian again," she relayed.

Bashir took a gulp of his drink. "Having him look like a Bajoran is bothering you that much?" he asked with a smirk.

She glared at him. "As a matter of fact, yes! He doesn't deserve to be masquerading around like that."

"The kai won't like it. If we're going to do it, we might as well give him a hooded robe," Sisko suggested.

"Sir, you hate him. And you usually don't cater to her," Kira pointed out.

He sat back in his chair and faced her. "Colonel, I am tired of making enemies. Those two sound like they want to change. I don't trust either of them any more than you do, but we need to see how things play out. There is an old saying my father uses: we give them enough rope to hang themselves so to speak."

Before he was to begin his shift as Chief Medical Officer, Bashir knocked on Winn's door. She answered it, saying, "Is there something wrong, Doctor?"

He stepped inside as she moved for him. "No. It was suggested that I give you a checkup though."

"By whom?" she asked, folding her hands.

"Gul Dukat," he replied, pulling out his tricorder. "Would you mind having a seat?"

They sat on the couch as he scanned her. "How is he, Dukat?" she inquired.

"He had a dislocated shoulder, but he's fine now. The question is how are you feeling?" Bashir directed.

"Just tired. Doctor, was there anything in particular that you-" the uncontrollable sneezing interrupted her.

After ten minutes, she managed to regain control. "Allergies?" Bashir prompted.

"Something more complicated than that, I'm afraid," she admitted.

Already knowing the truth, he scanned her abdomen, confirming what Kira had told him. Not only was the kai expecting, but the baby was half Cardassian. "I suppose I should offer congratulations then. You're pregnant."

"Thank you, Doctor, I was already aware of that," she stated.

He put the tricorder back inside the med-kit. "I can give you a quick list of what to eat and what not to eat. I also have a few treatments to help with the sneezing."

"That would be appreciated," she told him politely. After a long pause while he wrote out a list, she spoke again. "Would it be possible for me to see him?"

Bashir knew that his response had to be chosen carefully. Dukat was being brought into sickbay to restore his original skin. "Probably in a few hours," he told her. As he left, she replicated breakfast for herself.

Three hours later, Sisko noticed Winn outside of his office door. "Come in," he told her, pressing the button to open the doors.

She stepped inside. "Emissary, I would like to visit Dukat, please."

He should have known to expect here there. Standing, he gestured back toward the door. "I think that can be arranged."

Kira met them in the hall outside of the brig as Bashir was leaving. Winn raised an eyebrow, turning a questioning glace toward Sisko. "He's alright, isn't he?"

"Yes," was all Sisko said.

Winn walked through the door, seeing the guards first. "Please leave us," she instructed. They looked back at Sisko and Kira. The other two nodded and the guards left, one of them letting down the force-field. They waited outside of the door, knowing that the brig also had security cameras.

Winn headed toward the cell, but stopped suddenly, unprepared for the sight that met her eyes. She placed a hand over her mouth. Dukat wore a brown hooded robe, but his Cardassian skin had returned. He looked in her direction and saw her shock. "I disgust you," he said quietly.

His words broke her out of the frozen surprise and spurred her to action. She crossed the barrier and stepped inside his cell, walking over to him. "I'm not disgusted, just surprised. They didn't tell me they had done this to you."

"I suspect that our dear colonel took great offense to my Bajoran looks. With my own skin, I'm a walking target, and I make you uncomfortable," He remarked bitterly as he sank down onto the bench.

"No," she whispered, walking closer to him. "They have only dropped the mask. Now we can face things without any pretense, or any false hopes," she relayed.

_I must be repulsive to her_, he thought to himself, not facing her. To his amazement, he felt her soft fingers move gently over the gray-green ridges of his face. He closed his eyes, comforted by the action. Then he lightly grasped her hand with one of his and stroked it before kissing the top of it. She sat down next to him, letting her hand remain in his for a while. Then she folded both of her hands in her lap.

"They are going to make this as difficult as possible," he mentioned, glancing toward the door.

"We'll just have to make due," she tried to reason.

He shook his head. "Adami, this was the wrong place to come. You said it yourself; I'm the most wanted man in the Alpha Quadrant. I'm too recognizable and I have too many enemies. And you, most people on and off of Bajor know your face. When they see their former kai wandering around with a dubious Cardassian, a quiet life is the farthest thing from what you'll have."

"Then we will think of something else," she pursued.

"No. You'll move on with your life. You'll be safer without me," he conveyed.

She huffed, her brow furrowing. "That's not an answer."

"Why not?" he argued.

Taking a deep breath, she glanced down before looking back at him. "Because I have something important to tell you that might change a few things."

(My thanks to excessivelyperky for reviewing :D)


	9. The search for hope

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 9: The search for hope

"What do you mean?" Dukat inquired. He saw a spark of uncertainty in her eyes.

Winn took one of his hands, placed it on her abdomen, and told him four words that would change everything. "I'm carrying our child."

He watched her with a mixture of shock and wonder as a myriad of emotions played across his face. It was the last phrase he had expected to hear. _I'm going to be a father again. Maybe I can do better this time. Maybe… no, no, this is all wrong. How could I put her in this position? What have I done?_ He stood and began to pace the cell. She stood and followed him.

"You're disappointed that I don't have better news," she assessed.

Immediately he stopped to face her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No. Adami, part of me wants this, but it's too dangerous for you. Because of my stupidity, I've put you in danger, making both of us outcasts. I think you should leave. Make a life for yourself anywhere else."

His words brought tears to her eyes that she did not have the strength to guard against. "I can't. I can't do this alone. Don't you understand?"

Seeing her cry tore at his heart. "Adami, you can't possibly-"

"You and I need each other in order for both of us to find a new way. Alone both of us will only find rejection and hardship!" she told him, her voice shaking with emotion.

"And exactly how are we supposed to do that from inside of the brig? I know, we can hang curtains over the entry and turn the replicator into a campfire!" he retorted sarcastically.

"Don't you think I know that?" she shrieked, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "I've been trying to get you out!"

He turned back to her, gently reaching to touch her face. As he cupped her face in his hands, he wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry, Adami."

As she looked into his dark eyes, both understood how helpless the other felt. Then her eyes showed something stronger, tenacity. "You will not spend another night in this brig," she promised.

"Just how do you plan to fix that?" he probed.

"The Emissary and I will talk, and this time he will not win," she responded. Dukat leaned toward her, but paused. As much as he wanted to kiss her then, the awkwardness of their situation caused him to hold back. He hugged her as she prepared to leave.

While Winn and Dukat had been talking, Sisko, Kira, and Bashir stood outside, having their own conversation. "I just don't know what to make of it. Each seems genuinely concerned for the other," Bashir mentioned.

Kira put her hands on her hips. "This is Gul Dukat we are talking about! This man killed Jadzia Dax and deserves some sort of punishment for it!"

Sisko sighed and faced her. "I see your point, Colonel. But at the moment, I don't know what to make of the situation."

The door opened as Winn exited the brig. "Emissary, I'd like a word with you," she stated.

"Of course, right this way," he invited.

They stopped at his office. Entering, they stood on opposite sides of his desk. He took a seat, but she wanted to make her point standing. "He is not spending another night in that cell," her voice was calm, but firm.

Sisko folded his hands on the desk. "Kai Winn, I don't think you understand. No matter what happened on Bajor, that man is a criminal who has captured my people and commandeered my station! He also murdered one of my officers. Don't you think that some justice needs to be served?"

She began pacing, then turned back to him. "He was possessed by the pah-wraithes at the time! You of all people should understand that he was not in control of his actions," she argued.

"I can think of countless times in which _that man_ has tricked and used us! Why should we trust him? Actually, the better question is why do you trust him?" Sisko drilled.

"Because I know he's changed!" Sisko blinked at her emotional outburst. She took a deep breath and resumed her political tone. "Emissary, please listen to reason. Leaving him in that cell is destroying him. Can't you confine him to quarters instead?" she persuaded.

Thinking about it, her suggestion really was not unreasonable. However, Sisko had his own point to make first. "I am aware of your _unique_ situation concerning him, but I can't just overlook what he's done. There are crimes he needs to answer for."

"You are leaving him there because you and Nerys have a vendetta. I am not excusing… oh," she trailed off as a wave of fatigue swept over her. She put a hand on his desk to catch herself and not succumb to the fuzziness of the room.

He noticed and caught her elbow. Then he led her to a chair and helped her to sit before replicating a glass of water. "Perhaps something can be arranged," he acquiesced.

Against Sisko's better judgment and Kira's blatant disapproval, Dukat was released and confined to his suite. Winn greeted him at the door, having replicated hasperat. He stepped through the door, removing his hood as Winn nodded to the guards so that they would leave.

"How did you convince Sisko to let me go?" Dukat asked as Winn led him to the small kitchen table.

"It took more negotiating that I would've liked, but he will allow you to be confined to the suite instead of a cell for now," she explained as they sat down to eat.

Dukat took a few bites and grinned. "This is the best meal I've had all weak."

"Ro Laren served us hasperat," Winn reminded.

"Yours is better than Ro Laren's," Dukat complimented.

"Don't thank me, thank the replicator," Winn stated with a smirk.

He took a drink of water and paused. "What becomes of us now?"

Having eaten half of her dinner, she faced him. "I don't know yet. The Emissary won't agree to pardoning you."

"And Nerys would rather shoot me herself than pardon me," he added.

"I admire Nerys for her blunt honesty, but she could learn a few things about forgiveness," Winn mentioned, taking another bite of her dinner.

Dukat snorted. "And you, my dear, are biased. We both know what a horrible life I've led. The Prophets have forgiven me, but all deeds leave scars behind."

Winn nodded. "That is why we must learn from our past without dwelling on it. Like everything worth considering, it's a balance." He sat silently for a moment, watching her. "What?" she asked.

"I was thinking that since we are supposed to be on vacation, we might as well sleep in. It's not as if either one of us has to be somewhere tomorrow," he told her with a grin.

She returned the grin. "That is the best idea I've heard since we arrived."

They cleaned up the dishes and headed for their respective rooms. As she was dressing for bed, he called her name. She emerged wearing her nightgown and bathrobe, inquiring eyebrow raised. He stood in his doorway and gestured toward the room.

"It would seem that someone has assigned us a guest suite that has received very little use," he drawled. The room was crowded with chairs and tables like a storage closet. "I suppose I could sleep on the couch."

Winn sighed and shook her head. "I did not bring you out of the brig so you could spend an uncomfortable night on the couch. The bed is big enough for two people to have their own sides."

Her tone left no room for argument and he followed her. "You don't have to look after me," he stated, changing into gray pajamas in her bathroom.

"You're welcome," she told him, echoing his words to her a few days earlier.

He slipped under his side of the covers and laid flat on his back. "Goodnight, Adami."

"Goodnight, Dukat," she answered as she curled up into a ball on her side of the bed.

(My thanks to Lilith Kayden, RedSkyAtDawn, and excessivelyperky for reviewing :D)


	10. Vacation

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 10: Vacation

Despite his suggestion of sleeping in, Dukat woke early. He quietly left the bed, making sure that the blankets were close enough to Winn if she became cold. Then he dressed and walked over to the window, staring out at the stars. _Prophets, show me how to live this life. The people here are making things as difficult as possible. I need to take care of Adami, but how can I do that if I'm constantly under arrest? Give us some direction_, he prayed silently.

She stirred and his gaze returned to the bed to find her sitting up. She stretched and looked over at him. "I thought you wanted to sleep in."

"I had too much on my mind," he responded.

She studied him, hearing the frustration mixed with the dry humor, and came to a conclusion. Making her way to him, she stopped when she stood directly in front of him, as if to be certain that she had his full attention. "Stop moping. It won't do either of us any good," she ordered.

He smirked. "What did you have in mind?"

"We are going on a picnic," she told him.

After he had exited the bedroom, she dressed. When she emerged wearing an indigo-blue dress, he resumed their earlier conversation while she replicated a cup of jumja tea for herself. "Where will we be going for this picnic?" he inquired. "I'm 'confined to quarters.'"

She grinned, handing him a cup of raktajino. "You let me handle that. It's early so no one will pay much attention to us. They have holosuites here that are open all hours of the day."

He took a sip of his drink. "I'm not all that inconspicuous these days. And even when I was, Kira found me almost immediately. How do you intend to fix that?"

"As you can see, I'm not dressed as the kai today. I have a good selection of different items from the replicator. If you wear a blue robe and gloves instead of that awful brown one they gave you, it will look as if you're here for some ceremony," she mentioned.

"And when people ask why I'm covered from head to toe?" Dukat pointed out.

"You were in a fire and the burns embarrass you," she suggested.

Her plan made sense and soon they had left the suite, heading toward the promenade. She had replicated a meal and a storage container with a handle. The only people out were a few shopkeepers and a small group of people going to the Bajoran shrine. Quark was cleaning an expensive new set of glasses for his bar when he looked up to see a blonde woman and a person in a blue cloak.

He walked over to the door, saying "If you want drinks, we're closed for the morning hours."

"We want to use a holosuite," Winn told him.

Quark set the glass down on the counter. "So you wanted to beat the traffic and bother me at this hour? Not that I don't like doing business early, but-"

"How many strips of latinum does a few hours cost?" Winn interjected.

The Ferengi grinned. He had figured that someone had given her a free hour. There was nothing like making an actual profit in the morning. He opened the door telling them, "Right this way." Once they were inside, she paid him. "Now which program do you want?"

"Do you have the program from the B'hala Bajoran restoration project?" Winn inquired.

Quark scoffed. "You want _that_ one? At this hour in the morning, you could have _Cardassian Love Slave_ or _Castaways of Love Lagoon_, and you want the _B'hala Restoration Project?_"

Much to Dukat's amusement, Winn blushed at the mention of the other programs, not having thought much on what others use the holosuites for. She regained her composure quickly though. "Yes, we would like that one."

Handing her the yellow chip, he pointed in the direction of the holosuites. As they left, they heard him mutter, "And I thought Vulcans were boring. It figures that the first business of the day goes to two scientists."

Winn chuckled quietly as she inserted the program in the slot. "He didn't realize I brought a picnic."

"Fortunately for us, I don't think he realized whom he was talking to either," Dukat added as they stepped through the doorway.

As the holosuite doors hissed closed, the sight before them was breathtaking. The obelisk from Sisko's work stood in whitish marble, almost blinding in the simulated sunlight. Behind it the waterfall cascaded into narrow rectangular pools that ran next to the obelisk. On either side stood tall white buildings. The circular tops to the buildings were familiar, but the levels were block-like. They turned right and moved farther into the city, seeing smaller white buildings as well as an open market place. Looking up and to the north was a temple, columns holding part of the architecture.

As her left hand held the food container, she extended her right hand to him. "Welcome to B'hala."

He took her hand and they climbed the hill to the temple. At the top they caught their breath while looking down at the magnificent city. "This place is incredible," he remarked with awe.

"It's an ancient city, built during the First Republic. It was very fortunate that they've rediscovered it," she mentioned, smiling as she looked out over the city.

"Rediscovered by the Emissary?" Dukat questioned.

Winn nodded. "And at the time it even gave him increased visions."

Her companion looked over at the temple. "Are we venturing inside anything while we're here?"

"Because it is a restoration project, most of the inside of what you've seen is only speculation. None of the buildings down there have an interior," she answered.

"What about the temple? Would it be too much to have a look?" he questioned.

She smirked and shook her head. "Your curiosity gets you into trouble, you do realize. I suppose it would depend on your motives."

One thing came to mind. "Would clarity be good enough? Just before you woke, I was praying."

"Perhaps," she acquiesced.

To her surprise, the temple held the appropriate ancient artifacts. It seemed more empty than she would have expected, but then again it was speculation. Two large statues of Vedeks held a flame in an oval dish between them. In the center of the room another dish was suspended under a wooden tripod. The room itself was spacious and welcoming. Dukat followed her and saw what she had seen only for a minute.

Suddenly he was down by the obelisk and recognized the haze around him as a vision. A Prophet in the form of Kira appeared. "Why do you seek us here?"

"I have questions," Dukat began.

"He seeks clarity," another Prophet stated. This one looked like Damar.

His vision shifted and they were in the temple. Winn was there, but standing still as the Prophets walked around the room. "How do we survive?" Dukat asked, his eyes not leaving Winn.

Damar walked over to him. "You know the answer already. The answer lies in promises and practicality."

_I should've known better than to expect a direct answer_, Dukat thought to himself. "What about the child?"

He stopped breathing for a moment as the next Prophet appeared as his deceased daughter Ziyal. Overcome with emotion, he spoke in a whisper. "I'm so sorry, Ziyal. Forgive me. If I could do it over, everything would be different."

"I am not whom you seek. The promises you have made to her though will live on," the Prophet explained.

"How can that be?" Dukat inquired.

Ziyal neared Winn and stopped. "The child she carries is important to us. She will do great things in the future. Give them a future."

As the vision faded, Dukat noticed Winn standing in front of him, looking up at him with concern. "Are you alright?"

He reached for her hand. "The Prophets spoke to me. We're going to have a daughter and she'll be important to them."

She rested a hand on her abdomen. _A daughter, I like that idea. But why do the Prophets talk to him? _"I think they like you better than me," she commented.

"I had questions for them that needed clarity," he explained.

They headed back outside and Winn sat on the grass outside of the temple. He joined her as she unpacked their brunch, which consisted of groatcakes, moba fruit, and jumja tea. She had also brought raktajino for him.

As they were eating, she looked over at him. "And did you find it?"

He set his raktajino down. "Find what?"

"Clarity," she stated.

Pulling his knees up to rest his forearms on them, he thought for a moment. "In a way, yes," he paused, turning his head toward her.

Common sense told him that he should not have been attracted to her. She was older than any of his mistresses had been. She was a politician. And she was far more devious than the others. Yet something about her had captivated him. Perhaps it was especially because she was more like him than the others. And she was smart. Most of all, she could adapt to a situation and come out on top.

Taking a bite of her food, she smirked. "Aren't you going to tell me what was clarified?"

_And impatient_, he mused. "You and I are two of the most resourceful people here. Why are we letting them lead us around by the nose? By bringing me here, we are taking a bit of a risk, but we are not beaten. We've been going about things the wrong way."

She pondered what she had said before finishing her tea. "Are you suggesting that we use our ingenuity to work around the system?" she asked him with a bemused smile.

"Something like that. I'm not recommending that we break the law. I'm just saying that there are backdoors that we haven't looked into yet. I can't go back to Bajor. And what would happen to you if you went back? We thought taking a trip here would be a good idea, but we never thought much about what would happen after your supposed two-week vacation," he pointed out.

"I haven't had time to officially resign yet. Before I do, I want to find out if I can pardon you," she mentioned.

He downed the last bit of his raktajino. "We'll find a way around that too," he told her, grinning. For however long this moment in the holosuite was, nothing could touch them.

"So was this better than _Cardassian Love Slave_?" she probed, grinning as well.

He smirked at her teasing and laid back on the grass, leaning on his elbows. "What makes you think that I'd know anything about a program like that?"

She smiled, sitting with her feet curled under her dress. "Do you?"

"To be honest, I have better taste than that. In all the times I've been here, I can count on one hand the number of times I've been in a holosuite. And that was for strategic purposes, not for romantic liaisons with Dabo girls," he explained, locking his gaze with hers toward the end of his statement. He watched her with mischief and something warmer, something like desire.

Desire. It was a word that fit him. If she had met someone like him before she had become a Vedek, they would have gotten into a good amount of trouble. The man was trouble, but it was one of the things that made him appealing to her. He was at times a rule breaker, but he was also a rule bender. Then there was his natural charisma. He had reformed, but the man sitting before her was still Dukat. And is voice, she should have recognized his voice when he had come to her as a Bajoran. She had tried to suppress it, but she was attracted to him.

The food was gone, and she knew that they needed to leave before too many people arrived at Quark's bar. Tearing her gaze away from his, she cleaned up the dishes and stood. "We should be going." _If we stay here any longer and he keeps looking at me like that, I might kiss him, and who knows were that'll lead_.

_I make her uncomfortable. What's it going to take to reach her? I'll figure it out eventually_, he thought as he stood, signing. She spotted the look of defeat in his eyes, but did not understand why as they left the holosuite. No one took notice of them as they headed back to their quarters.

(My thanks to RedSkyAtDawn and excessivelyperky for reviewing :D)


	11. Starting a life

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios. Vedek Juna Edon, Talos Kusto, and Oriel Johnson are mine.

Chapter 11: Starting a life

Back in their quarters, Winn began sneezing uncontrollably. Bashir had not brought her the device to ease the sneezing yet. Dukat walked over to the replicator and asked for a warm damp cloth with certain herbal scents. Once the object appeared, he walked up behind Winn and held the cloth to her forehead, near her sinuses. With the help of the aromas, the sneezing subsided.

She turned to face him with a smile. "How in the world did you figure that out? I've never heard of anyone using something like that."

He let a half-smile wander onto his face as he pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her face a moment longer. "During the occupation I had a daughter with a Bajoran mistress. I'm not proud of all the things I did in that life, but I used a scented hot compress with her and it seemed to work."

Winn knew that Dukat was a private man and it was not easy for him to share something so personal, especially when both of them were trying to move on from their pasts. "What happened to your daughter?" she inquired.

His gaze fell to the floor and he moved away from her. She missed the warmth of his touch and followed him. As one of her hands found his, he spoke again. "I loved her very much. She died doing what she thought was right."

"I'm so sorry," Winn said quietly.

"I won't let it happen again," he promised, tightening his grip on her hand.

After a moment of silence, Winn headed over to the computer console. It functioned like an encyclopedia for the various cultures on Deep Space Nine. "What are you looking for?" Dukat inquired.

"I'm trying to find out if I can pardon you before I officially resign," she answered, scrolling through the Bajoran law archives.

At last she found it. She tapped her fingers against the console absently as she read the article. Then she sighed heavily. "I take it, that means no," Dukat assessed.

She closed the screen and faced him. "A kai can only pardon someone in your situation if he or she is in their first year of being a kai. Your fate would rest on my successor."

While he stared out at the stars dejectedly, she decided to communicate with her government. "What do you mean, resign?" Vedek Juna questioned. He was a terse, balding stocky little man who had trained her when she had first become a Vedek.

"It's time the job was given to someone with a fresh perspective," she replied.

"That, young lady, is not an acceptable answer. Just what have you gotten yourself into?" he demanded, crossing his arms.

She remained calm, unruffled. "I have personal health reasons that must be attended to."

"Oh," he responded. "Will you be returning to Bajor then? I do know a few good doctors."

Suppressing the sudden apprehension that rose in her stomach, she told him, "That won't be necessary. I will remain aboard Deep Space Nine for their medical assistance."

The Vedek sighed heavily. "I wish you well then. Is there anyone whom you would recommend as your successor?"

"Actually yes. I would like to submit the name of Colonel Kira Nerys for consideration," she responded with a small smile.

Juna's eyes widened. "You can't be serious! She's a soldier. Not only that, what religious training has she had?"

"She is quite receptive to the Prophets. And she is a blank slate regarding politics. I am not saying that she shouldn't have some training, but I am asking you to consider her," Winn calmly explained.

The man folded his hands, looking down for a moment. Then he faced her. "I'll need to discuss it with the other vedeks. Is there anything else?"

Winn's mind ran over what she had wanted to discuss. "I suppose I'll need my personal belongings shipped here. Would you please inform the staff at the magisterial estate?"

"Certainly," he replied.

After speaking with Vedek Juna, Winn moved to the couch where Dukat sat. "Are we staying on the station then?" Dukat inquired.

"Yes, but now I'll have to find an inconspicuous job," Winn remarked, folding her hands in her lap.

"I need a job too," he reminded.

She shook her head. "You're confined to quarters."

He sat up straighter, placing his hands on his thighs. "Only because he doesn't trust me. What better way is there to show that I'm reliable then for me to have a job?"

"The Emissary would never agree to it," she told him.

He stood and walked to the window, as if the answers were outside in the flickering lights of the stars. "What if we got jobs first and told him about it later?"

She was not completely convinced as she joined him at the window. "What about going through proper channels?"

Facing her, he scoffed. "When we've used 'proper channels' we've wound up with the shorter end of the deal. I think it's time we evened the score and used a back door."

She raised an eyebrow. "How big of a backdoor?"

"One about as big as a Ferengi," he answered with a knowing grin.

Quark looked up when he saw the same blonde woman from earlier that morning enter his bar for the second time. "Did you like the program?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you. It was very enlightening," she responded.

She looked as though she expected some thing from him. "Can I get you something to drink?" he offered.

"No, thank you," she answered.

He set down the glass that he had been wiping off. "Look, I'm kind of busy right now, or I will be in a little while. Was there something specific you wanted?"

She smiled and folded her hands on the counter. "My friend and I are in need of jobs. We were wondering if you had heard of any openings. Something legal of course, but inconspicuous."

"I don't know… this isn't my usual expertise," he mentioned, heading back to the glasses.

Holding out a strip of latinum, she spoke again. "I'm willing to pay you for information."

He grinned, eyeing the money like a dog eyes a strip of bacon. "Come to think of it, they could use a new health and safety inspector at the docking bay. That job only requires talking to the security guard in charge of the docking bay."

She thought for a moment. "That might work. Is there anything else?"

Quark glanced at the Dabo table for an instant, but then decided that the woman before him probably would not take that joke well. "Since Garek left, there's a new tailor. I hear she's in the market for an assistant."

"Thank you very much. You've been quite helpful," Winn commented, paying him as she left.

"So have you," he mentioned after she had left.

Winn made her way to the docking bay and watched the security team in their brow Bajoran uniforms. Noting their actions, she waited until she was sure of the hierarchy before coming forward. A security guard called Talos appeared to be in charge.

"Excuse me," Winn began, addressing the tall man. "Are you by any chance looking for a health and safety inspector?"

He looked at her in surprise, not recognizing her as the kai. For as familiar as the kai was to most Bajorans, the gold robes and hat were more recognizable than her face was. With darker colors and her hair down, she almost had anonymity. "Ma'am, I'm not sure if that's a job for a woman."

"I have a friend, a man who is looking for a job. He suffered some burns in an accident and his completely covered from head to toe. Do you think there might be a chance for him?" she inquired.

Talos thought for a moment. "Well, he wouldn't have much interaction with anyone except me. The crews of the other ships wouldn't be dealing with him. I suppose. What's his name?"

Winn froze in response, not expecting the question. _I have to think of a good Cardassian name that Dukat can use as a cover. Hmm… Damar? No, that was the name of his friend. What was that name I heard once? Madred. No, if I give a Bajoran name, then this man will stop asking questions_. "Dakin, Solan."

"Tell him to report here tomorrow at 0800," Talos instructed.

She nodded and left for the tailor shop. When Garek had owned it, she had glanced into it once and seen brownish-gray décor and a few colored outfits hanging. Walking into it now, she noticed color, and lots of it. The interior had been painted light blue at the top, but it transitioned into an indigo-purple by the time the wall reached the floor. Clothes hung on racks descending from the ceiling, all ranges of colors and styles. There were also racks on the ground along with a counter for financial transactions and three two-foot shelves for folded items.

A stocky smiling woman greeted her when she entered. "Hello, I'm just starting out here. How may I help you?"

Winn smiled back. "I had heard that you might be in need of an assistant."

"Come on in," the other woman stated, motioning with her hand. "I'm Oriel Johnson. Now who might you be?"

The two women shook hands. "Winn, Adami," the blonde woman replied.

"That's Bajoran, isn't it?" Oriel asked, to which Winn nodded. "What experience do you have with sewing?"

"I can do repair work on buttons, fasteners, hook-and-eye claps, and things of that sort," Winn began.

"Good. That's good. I have a test piece if you don't mind," Oriel commented.

She walked back behind the shelf and pulled out a brocaded dressing gown with a silky blue pattern and black hook-and-eye clasped buttons. "It's beautiful," Winn remarked.

The other woman smirked, as if knowing an interesting secret. "Can you tell me what's wrong with it?"

Realizing that this test would probably determine whether or not she got the job, Winn studied the outfit closely, running her fingers over the front and back. After roughly ten minutes, she looked back at her potential employer. "The buttons are wrong. They've been sewn to the wrong side of the cloth. The hem at the bottom is unfinished. And the darts," she paused, holding the garment and leveling it with herself, "are placed wrong. One is higher than the other."

Oriel grinned and took the garment back. "Very good. Can you start tomorrow?" Winn said that she would be able to and the two women discussed the time.

Winn stopped by Quark's before returning to her quarters. "I'd like to buy a bottle of spring wine."

"You sure you want to drink the whole thing?" the Ferengi questioned.

"It's not for me," she replied. He sold her a bottle and she continued toward her quarters.

She entered to find Dukat a manual on how to fix a replicator. "Is something broken?" she inquired, sitting down on the couch across from him.

"No. I just want to know how to fix it myself rather than ask someone else if it does break down," he replied. Then he closed the book and faced her. "What have you been up to?"

Setting the bottle of spring wine on the table, she grinned and handed him a glass, since she would not be drinking any herself. "We have something to celebrate. I remembered that you liked Bajoran spring wine, so I thought I'd get you a bottle."

He smiled graciously. "Adami, you didn't have to. What are we celebrating?"

She opened the bottle and purred some of the blue liquid into his glass. "The fact that you and I now have jobs."

(My thanks to excessivelyperky, and RedSkyAtDawn for reviewing :D)


	12. Working for a living

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 12: Working for a living

Dr. Bashir had stopped by Winn's quarters to drop off a device that she could breathe into once a day to help with the sneezing. Fortunately he had arrived early enough so that Winn and Dukat had time to reach their jobs without being conspicuous. On his first day of work, Dukat found Talos Kusto to be an agreeable employer. He was asked to prove himself on a few basic inspections with Talos watching. The Bajoran security guard approved of his work and then the real job began. A Bolian ship docked and Dukat was asked to inspect the cargo hold. As he looked for standard regulation seals on the food they had brought, he found one that was a different color than the rest. Deciding that it warranted investigation, he broke the seal, only to find several weapons inside the barrel.

"That's commendable, Dakin, good observation," Talos complimented.

While Dukat worked at the docking bay, Winn was repairing a girl's Paresi Squares uniform. Oriel glanced back at her new assistant as she herself worked on a gown for one of the Vulcan ambassadors. "I don't see why they let children play it. It's the most dangerous sport I've ever seen," Oriel commented.

"Parisi Squares? What does it involve?" Winn inquired.

Oriel threaded her needle. "I'm not sure myself, but it has something to do with people on platforms trying to move to the next section and others competing as they move. All I know is that my god-daughter played once and she got knocked off the platform. She hit her head and was in the hospital for a week!"

_I'll have to remember that, no Parisi Squares allowed_, Winn mused. Halfway through the day, Oriel set her project down and glanced at her watch. "It's time for a lunch-break. You hungry?"

Winn had been concentrating on the skirt to a human wedding dress when she looked up. "That sounds like a good idea," she responded, looking over at the side room which contained a table and chairs.

Oriel noticed. "You don't have to eat here. There are lots of good places on the Promenade."

"I brought a lunch, but I have a friend whom I'd like to join me," Winn began.

"As long as he's clean and polite, it's no problem," Oriel told her.

Winn left, heading for the docking bay. She found Talos speaking with Dukat. "Dakin, you do good work, but your shift is taking a lunch break. You're welcome to stay here, or there are places to eat on the Promenade. I like that Ferengi's bar myself," the Bajoran mentioned.

Before Dukat answered, Winn cleared her throat, drawing their attention to her. "Actually he's having lunch with me."

"Go on. My wife collects me for lunch too sometimes," Talos mentioned.

Dukat extended his right arm and Winn linked her arm with his. "I hope you have a plan in case anyone sees me eating," he whispered.

She patted his arm with her other hand. "Don't worry. There's a back room at the tailor's shop."

When they reached the shop, Oriel was folding a few colorful pieces of cloth before heading off to her own lunch. She looked up when her new assistant walked in with a person wearing a hooded cloak and gloves. "Oriel, I'd like you to meet someone. This is Dakin, Solan," Winn stated.

Oriel put out a hand to shake Dukat's. "Pleasure to meet you."

Dukat slowly shook the woman's hand. "Likewise."

"Your lady friend here does good work," Oriel relayed.

"That's good news because I didn't know she could sew," Dukat relayed, humor in his voice.

Winn chuckled softly. "It didn't come up."

"Do you mind if I ask why you're so covered up?" Oriel questioned.

"I was in an accident and I have burns that people don't need to gawk at," he answered plainly.

Oriel glanced at her hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright. If I was in your position, I would've asked the other person what sort of disease he or she was covering up," Dukat responded, lightening the mood.

"You two have a good lunch. I'll be back in a while," Oriel said before the other two headed into the back room.

They sat down at the table across from each other, unpacking their metal preservation containers. "She's very nice. I just thought you wouldn't mind meeting her," Winn explained.

"Your boss likes you and the work you do. I'm glad you get along well. Talos is a fair man, but I'm watched constantly by someone," Dukat told her, taking a bite of his food. "He thinks you're my wife. We need an explanation for ourselves."

In that instant, the immorality of the situation sank in for Winn. It was the first time since her arrival on the station when there was a pause in activity that let her analyze what had taken place. Dukat watched as something seemed to fade in her eyes.

She folded her hands in front of her, not facing him. "We can't keep up this kind of charade. I'm with child. And it won't be long before that becomes very evident," she said before facing him. "We need to give our child a sense of moral stability."

He took a deep breath and reached for her left hand with his right. "Sisko would never allow it, and he's probably the only one who would marry us by Bajoran ceremony."

"But why should it even matter to him at this point?" she protested, running her thumb over the lines in Dukat's hand.

"Because it will," he grumbled.

"Then we remain outcasts," she remarked quietly.

It worried him to see her so distraught. He lifted the hand that he held and kissed the top of it. She looked over at him and watched as he kissed her palm, and then her wrist. "Adami," he began, "just because we can't, it doesn't mean that I don't want to."

Oriel had returned sooner than she had anticipated. The line for the sandwich she wanted had been quite short. As she sat down in the main room to eat her sandwich, she looked through the open door to the back room and noticed that her assistant's 'friend' was no longer covered. With his hood down, she recognized the Cardassian appearance. _I don't know much about the other cultures here yet, but one thing I do know is that Bajorans and Cardassians don't mix. That's probably why he's usually covered_, Oriel pondered. Then she saw Dukat kiss Winn's hand. _Those two have got to be more than friends_.

The two had finished their meal and he stood to leave. "I'll come back for you when I'm done with work and we'll walk home together," he suggested, taking both of her hands in his.

She smiled calmly. "I'd like that."

He wanted to kiss her goodbye, to somehow convey what she meant to him. But they had established an unspoken line that he tried not to cross, or so he thought. Her gaze lingered on his, as if silently waiting for something more. After he left, Winn realized that Oriel was back at the counter. She suddenly felt very exposed, but recovered herself to look her employer in the eyes.

"When did you come back?" Winn inquired politely.

"There wasn't much of a line for lunch. I didn't mean to, but I did see you two, and I caught a glimpse of what he really looks like. I can see why he stays covered, and I won't judge if he's really your husband," Oriel reassured her.

Winn folded her hands in front of her. "We're not married. I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Oriel smiled. "Few things are."

She knew that her curious employer was looking for a longer answer. "He doesn't have the best of reputations, but he's reformed. However, he and I can't marry because everyone would be against the union."

The other woman snorted. "My brother-in-law's a preacher. You let me give him a call and I'll take care of it."

"That's very kind of you, but both of us would prefer a Bajoran ceremony," Winn mentioned.

Oriel smirked. "Ah. Well, if you're going to be that picky, then you might as well just say you're engaged, that he's your fiancé if you need something to call him."

Winn was not completely familiar with human terminology. "What's a fiancé?"

"It just means that a person is promised to marry another. People stay engaged for years sometimes," Oriel clarified.

They went back to there work. At the end of the day, Winn stood by the door after her time had ended. "By the way, the offer still stands regarding my brother-in-law."

"Thank you," Winn responded.

(My thanks to ascii27, Lilith Kayden, excessivelyperky, and RedSkyAtDawn for reviewing :D)


	13. Plans

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 13: Plans

As he had said, Dukat walked Winn back to their quarters at the end of the day. As they established a routine over the next four days, Winn considered Oriel's offer. She decided to bring up the matter that evening. "Oriel gave me a suggestion the other day," Winn began as they passed through the doors. "I could call you my fiancé. It's a human term for people who are promised to each other."

"Has she seen us eating lunch then?" he probed.

"Yes, but I think we can trust her. She knows little to nothing about our pasts. And I think in time I could call her a friend," Winn explained.

"You're sure you can trust her?" he pursued.

Winn nodded. "Oriel even offered to have her brother-in-law marry us," she mentioned as she began to make dinner.

Dukat raised an eyebrow. "That would be a human ceremony though, wouldn't it? There has to be someone on this station who would marry a Cardassian to a Bajoran, in our preferred ceremony."

She set one plate of noodles in front of her and the other in front of Dukat, each plate having marinara sauce on top as well as meatballs. "I hope so as well."

A fork, knife, and spoon were the human utensils that were recommended, but each stared at the meal for a while. "Mind if I ask what we're having?" Dukat inquired.

Winn smirked. "It's a human dish called 'spaghetti.'"

"How are we supposed to eat it?" he questioned, deciding to saw the noodles with his knife.

She twisted the noodles onto her fork and used the spoon to dump marinara sauce on them. "I think it's like this."

As she tried to wind other noodles around her fork, her hand bumped the knife that she had set on the edge, which nudged one of her meatballs onto the table, rolling until it was an inch away from Dukat's plate. Winn glared at her utensils as though they had minds of their own. Dukat looked at the stray meatball and started laughing.

After a moment, Winn joined him. "I didn't know human food was this amusing."

"I wonder if this is what 'normal' is," he remarked with a grin, picking the meatball up with his fork and depositing it back onto her plate before wiping up the trail of marinara sauce.

She chuckled and smiled at him. "Why? Are you bored already?"

"It feels so strange not to be at war with anyone," he commented.

"And I don't have meetings to attend anymore. It feels like someone else's life," Winn admitted.

Dukat spoke again as they cleaned up the dishes. "I wish that I was in someone else's life. Perhaps I could find a dermal enhancer and pose as the Bajoran, Dakin Solan. Then I could marry you without Sisko wanting to kill me the entire time."

Winn shook her head adamantly and walked over to him. "No. I will not be married to a man who does not exist."

"But if I looked Bajoran again-" Dukat tried to protest.

She reached up with both hands, lightly ghosting her fingers over the ridges of his face, the spoon-like marking on his forehead, his neck, and his jaw. For a reason she could not fathom, she liked how the ridges felt. "This isn't about politics or power anymore. This is about what the two of us should be able to do. You are not marrying me in a disguise."

His eyes had closed as the affect she was beginning to have on him increased. As if suddenly realizing what she was doing, she dropped her hands and turned her back to him. Unable to resist impulse any longer, he wrapped his right arm around her waist, letting his left hand linger on her left shoulder. He nuzzled her neck and stopped by her ear. "I have tried to resist, to hold back. I can't deny it anymore. I want you, Adami."

As she pivoted to face him, he reached out with his left hand and touched her cheek, as he had during one of their early meetings. When she met his eyes though, he immediately tried to drop his hand. She caught him. "No, it's alright," she told him quietly, echoing her previous words to him. "This time the Prophets truly have brought us together."

It was all that he needed to hear before leaning toward her to kiss her hungrily. She responded and her hands traced his ridges again. His arms wrapped around her back as he held her closely to him. After a few more fervent kisses, he lifted her up and made his way toward her bedroom. He set her down inside the doorway and locked his gaze with hers, as if to ask permission. She slid her hands under his shirt and removed it, noticing with interest that the spoon-like mark on his forehead was duplicated on his chest. He ran a hand through her hair and kissed her soundly before leading her to the bed.

He woke in the early hours of the morning to find her still in his arms, sleeping peacefully. Disentangling himself from her, he went to the window and stared out at the stars again. _Knowing Sisko and Nerys, it'll only be a matter of time before we get caught. There has to be a better way to go about this. They probably think I'm off plotting some massive insurgency instead of working a real job_.

As he looked back at her, he sighed. It had been some time since he had to consider someone else's future other than his own. He could not simply send Winn somewhere, as he had tried to do with Ziyal. He had been responsible for an empire, for a cause, but when it came to being responsible for merely another person, the dynamics were quite different.

Seeing her shift and pull the blanket closer, he crawled back into bed with her and remained until the morning alarm chimed. She stirred and slowly opened her eyes to find him smiling at her. Then she realized the proximity of their situation and blushed, pulling the blankets around her hastily. He stopped her by placing a hand on her cheek and kissing her softly. "Good morning," he whispered.

She smiled back. "Good morning."

"Regrets?" he asked as he pushed her hair behind her ears.

"No," she answered quietly. Then she moved toward the edge of the bed to turn off the alarm. "I suppose we should get ready for work."

_She's avoiding it_. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her so that she faced him. "Adami."

Licking her dry lips, she met his gaze pensively. "Where do we stand with each other?" she asked plainly.

"I want to marry you," he had decided.

"I don't want this to just be another alliance. I want something genuine. Do you truly care for me?" she probed.

He cupped her face in his hands and leaned toward her. "We will make this work, I promise." As she smiled back at him, he kissed her passionately. Later they took turns getting their showers and then headed off to their jobs, with the honest attempt at making a life for themselves.

(My thanks to Lilith Kayden and excessivelyperky for reviewing :D)


	14. An investigation

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios.

Chapter 14: An investigation

Sisko sat at his desk with has hands folded, looking over a data report from a recent surveying mission. It had been a month since Dukat and Winn's arrival on the bird-of-prey and they were still looking for the renegade Maquis. Though the base had finally been located, the report told him that it was abandoned.

He looked up from the report as Kira walked into his office. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes. Colonel, I need you to keep an eye out for Maquis spies. As you know, we've located the base. But it was empty. They had to have gone somewhere. Our job is to find them. I want you to keep your security teams alert, especially to anyone new," Sisko advised.

"And if we do find Maquis hiding on the station?" she probed.

"We send someone to gather enough information to find them all," he replied rationally.

Kira nodded. "I'll see if Quark has had any new customers lately," she stated before heading off to the Ferengi's bar.

The colonel entered to see Quark disputing the price of brandy with three Bolians. "I'm telling you, buying a case would be much more economical than buying two or three," he began.

Kira stepped in, clearing her throat. "Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me a minute, I've got some business that can't wait. You can have him back when I'm finished."

Respectfully stepping back, the Bolians decided to wait at a table. Quark breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, colonel. Bolians wouldn't know a good business deal if they stepped on it. Now what's the real reason you're here? All of my inventory is legal this time."

She smirked. "I'm not here about your stock."

"By the way, that betting pool that you've told me to discourage has your name in it as one of the nominees for kai. The next election should be very interesting," the Ferengi added.

"And you only plan to accidentally make a profit from it," she assessed before pausing and looking to see if anyone was staring at her. "Have you seen anyone new lately? Or maybe several new people?"

"I have seen some humans and Bajorans that I don't recognize, but I need specifics. I get new customers all the time," the Ferengi pointed out.

"Just keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. Maybe someone's tried to buy something odd? Or asked you for something unusually?" she pursued.

He glanced at the Dabo tables to see that his employees were enticing the customers to bet just enough to make losing look like winning. "You know, Colonel, a blonde Bajoran and this guy in a hooded cape came by about a month ago. First they came early to use the holosuite for the program, _B'hala Restoration Project_. Really boring people. Then she came by herself and asked about job openings. I think her hooded friend is working at the docking bay. She's probably got a job with the new tailor."

Kira could only stare at him, wide-eyed as he spoke. "And you didn't think to tell me about this? I've got to go."

She left the Ferengi as she dashed off. "Why is everything my fault?" he grumbled before seeing the Bolians head toward him again.

Her first stop was the tailor's. She entered a shop brimming with beautiful colors. Oriel glanced over from the counter. "Hello, Ma'am. May I help you?"

Kira smiled in response, accepting the handshake the woman offered her. "Actually I'm looking for someone. I'm Colonel Kira. Do you have a new assistant working here?"

"Yes, a Bajoran woman. If you're looking for her though, it's her day off. She's pretty good at repair work and she brings her fiancé over for lunch. Is she a friend of yours?" Oriel inquired.

_Her fiancé? She calls him her fiancé? This just gets better_, Kira thought sarcastically. The Bajoran woman hesitated for a moment, trying to decide if it was possible to call her complex association with the former kai a friendship. "Yes. I need to talk to her about a few things. How is she doing?" Kira asked.

"She's fine. They're expecting a baby too," Oriel relayed. Kira smiled politely and left, heading to the docking bay.

Talos was looking over a shipment of hyposprays for sickbay when the colonel approached. He immediately stood and faced her. "Sir, what can we help you with?"

"I need to know if you've hired anyone recently," she mentioned.

"Just one man. He wears a hooded robe. He's one of the best safety inspectors I've ever had, very thorough, and his fiancé picks him up for lunch. It's his day off though, so you'll have to try tomorrow," the man told her.

Kira thanked him for the information and left. Catching Maquis spies was going to be more difficult than she had thought. After informing Sisko of what she had learned, she asked him to meet her in front of the former kai's quarters. Kira had elected to visit Winn, deciding that perhaps she had seen someone she recognized.

Winn and Dukat were sorting though her art collection, since her belongings had arrived from Bajor a few weeks ago. They attempted to find a few pieces with which to decorate their quarters. From one of the brown three foot by one foot envelops, Dukat removed a painting of a man glaring out at the world with beady eyes, a crooked nose, and black robes. "Adami, who is this menacing man?"

She looked up from a painting of a garden to see the painting he held. "That would be my grandfather. Nobody likes that painting. It's been in the family for years, something the oldest child receives. Awful, isn't it? I should've put it by one of the gates to the estate above a 'Trespassers Beware' sign."

He smirked. "What should we do with it though?"

"For now, put it in the closet. Horrible as it is, I can't get rid of an heirloom," she said with a sigh.

As they sorted through other paintings, they found more family members, mythical creatures, and prints of prophetic paintings. "Adami, is there anything somewhat tolerable in here?" Dukat teased.

"I think this one is it," she mentioned, giving him the garden painting. It was of Bajoran ruins with something similar to magenta bougainvillea, petals drifting, across the grass.

"It's a good start, but let's see if the replicator can make something from the station's library selection," he suggested.

She nodded and they headed over to a small screen that she had used before. He showed her some Cardassian works of art from the universities. Winn placed a hand on his shoulder as she looked with him. "Oh, that one's beautiful," she remarked when he stopped at a red flower, its petals flowing and curling.

"Ziyal painted that," he said quietly. She watched as a small nostalgic smile appearing on his face.

"Then we should definitely find a place for it," she relayed quietly.

He faced her and kissed her softly to convey his thanks for her understanding. They selected a few other works and ordered them to be placed within the replicator settings. Then they replicated the paintings and began to hang them, using magnets.

Outside their quarters, Kira rang the chime and waited. Winn opened the door and raised an eyebrow. "Nerys, what brings you by, child?"

The colonel glanced from one side of the hallway to the other and then slightly past Winn, not having seen Dukat yet. "May I come in for a while?"

"I suppose," Winn permitted. Kira stepped in and the door closed behind her, briefly noticing that Winn's pregnancy was now visible.

Dukat emerged from the bathroom, seeing who the visitor was before removing the hood of his cloak. "Hello, Colonel. I wasn't sure whom to expect this morning. Have you come to keep track of the station's miscreants?" he asked with a smirk.

"As a matter of fact, yes," she responded tersely, crossing her arms. Then she softened her tone. "I'll start the station's problem though. Have either of you seen any of the Maquis from the station that you were imprisoned on?"

"No, and thank goodness. The two of us would be in impossible trouble if they were here," Winn expressed.

At that moment, the door chimed again. Winn answered it to find Sisko. "I'm sorry to impose on you like this, but the colonel and I need to find a solution to the problem of the missing Maquis," Sisko explained.

"I hope we can help you then, Emissary," Winn relayed, having retained her political formality as she rejoined Dukat on the couch.

"Would you be able to recognize someone from your stay if you saw a picture?" Kira inquired.

Dukat and Winn exchanged glances. "I would assume so," Winn replied.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now Colonel, you said there was something else?" Sisko inquired.

"Yes," she paused to face the others. "What are you two doing with jobs?"

Sisko took a deep breath, looking directly at Dukat. "This I would definitely like to here, considering that you're supposed to be confined to quarters."

Up until that point, Winn had answered. She was about to speak again when Dukat rested a hand on top of hers. Then he faced Sisko. "In order to keep living here, we needed a means of survival. More importantly though, we figured that taking jobs that would contribute something to society would help my position and show the two of you that I can be trusted."

The other man sat back and watched his former enemy. He took the time to observe his interaction with Winn, the way he held her hand, the way she gave him a small smile. _Ro Laren's problem is that she doesn't know how to act when the war's over. Yes, Dukat has been my enemy, but these two need a way to live._

"Would it help my case if I told you that my boss has people watching me?" Dukat mentioned.

"I have decided that, under the circumstances, you two may keep your jobs," Sisko relayed.

"Thank you, Emissary," Winn responded with a nodded, though inwardly she disliked the feeling that their jobs needes his approval.

"Well, my job is done here," Kira mentioned. She stood to leave and Winn walked her over to the door.

Sisko stood, but Dukat moved in front of him. "May I have a word with you privately?"

The other man nodded, seeing Winn and Kira step outside of the door. "I suppose now you'll want some sort of written pardon?" Sisko probed.

Dukat smirked. "I know that you find us a nuisance. But, seeing as my reputation prevents certain opportunities for a normal life, I do have one request, 'man to man' as you humans say. It's not for a pardon. The immorality of our situation is bothering Adami. She has a good point that children ought to be brought up in a more stable… situation."

"Are you asking me to let you masquerade as a Bajoran again?" Sisko questioned.

"No. I'm asking you to marry us by Bajoran ceremony. If you give us this, we won't bother you anymore," Dukat promised.

The captain took a deep breath, glancing at the door before facing Dukat. "You're really that serious about your relationship with her?"

"I need to make this right," the Cardassian replied.

"I'll think about it," Sisko answered as he stood.

On the other side of the main door, Winn and Kira spoke. "How are you?" the younger woman asked.

Winn rested a hand on her abdomen. "I'm well, thank you. Have you given any thought to my suggestion about you becoming kai? The vedeks have reviewed what I have told them, but you must accept the nomination before the election is complete."

"Do you really think I might be the kind of person to be kai?" Kira questioned again.

The blonde woman smiled warmly. "Yes, child, I do. With proper training and your experience in meeting other cultures as well as the Prophets, I believe that you can do the job."

"How many days do I have before I have to tell the government?" the other woman inquired.

"Three," Winn simply replied. At that moment, her unborn child kicked and she glanced down, moving her hand.

"Is everything alright?" Kira probed. Winn nodded and Kira moved her right hand forward. "May I?"

Winn took Kira's hand and placed it so that she could feel the baby. "It's quite an experience. I wish I could have been more help to you when you were with child," Winn remarked.

Kira smirked. "From what I can recall, you were helpful, Shakar and Chief O'Brien weren't."

"Men," Winn said sardonically. Kira chuckled and nodded.

"The humans have a saying: 'Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em,'" Kira commented.

"Very true. He and I have been sampling human food. You should have seen what happened when I tried to make enchiladas. The replicator was malfunctioning and gave me the ingredients for it instead. What a mess that was! He did fix it though," Winn relayed.

Kira took a moment to study Winn. By resigning as kai, a burden seemed to have been lifted from her. Her smiles seemed genuine, as did her affections toward Dukat. Somehow, in spite of that Cardassian, Kira was beginning to see Winn as a friend.

The door opened and Sisko stepped out. He spoke, facing Winn. "I wonder if you two wouldn't mind accompanying the colonel here to the security office to look at some of the passengers."

Dukat emerged a moment later with his hood over hid head. "I don't have a problem with it."

"Neither do I," Winn added.

After Winn had retrieved a gray robe, she and Dukat followed Kira to the security office. She let them sit in the chairs when they entered and turned a desk monitor toward them. They looked at several people whose pictures had been captured as they entered the space station, noting that most had a passport that came up on the screen. Of the eight that did not, Winn and Dukat recognized four. Then they were permitted to leave, agreeing to return in two days to view more photos.

"What were you talking to the Emissary about?" Winn inquired.

"If it works, I'll tell you later," he said quietly.

"There you go, being secretive again and- oh! I left my robe in the office!" she told him.

"I'll wait for you," he responded.

Winn shook her head. "No, it's alright. I'll meet you in our quarters." He left her reluctantly, trying to suppress the nagging feeling to stay.

She began walking back quickly, not looking at people around her. "Kai Winn!" a voice called out suddenly. She froze.

(My thanks to RedSkyAtDawn for reviewing :D)


	15. Secret Agent

Disclaimer: All Star Trek people, places, things, and ideas belong to Paramount Studios. Vedek Lani Zora is mine. (A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long in coming. My muse ran off and it took me a while to catch it again).

Chapter 15: Secret Agent

Winn closed her eyes for a moment, summoning up the courage to turn around. If she did, she knew that her condition would almost certainly be revealed. _I should have pretended not to hear that,_ she mentally scolded herself. She turned slowly and spotted a smiling woman in a vedek's garb. The woman walked toward her.

"Vedek Lani?" Winn inquired. The brown-eyed woman nodded.

"I'm surprised to find you here. After you resigned, they wouldn't say were you'd gone," Vedek Lani Zora mentioned.

"I'm here for medical purposes," Winn admitted.

Vedek Lani chewed her lip. "I'm sorry. Will you be alright?"

Winn nodded. "I should be in time. I've been the kai long enough. It's time for someone with a fresh perspective."

The other woman nodded and followed Winn as she began walking to the security office where she had left her robe. "I've been on a retreat for the last two months and I haven't heard anything about the nominees. Were any of them recommended by you?"

"Just one, Colonel Kira Nerys," Winn stated, noting the look of relief in the vedek's face. Lani had been happy to remain a vedek. She could minister to the Bajoran people without the burdens of politics or any other aliens.

"Ah, the resistance fighter. She's an interesting choice," Lani assessed.

"I don't mean to be abrupt, but I do need to be somewhere, if you will excuse me," Winn informed her.

"Oh, of course. I didn't mean to keep you," Lani responded.

Without further interruption, Winn returned to the security office and donned her robe again. After she reached her quarters and the door had closed, Dukat approached her. "What took so long?"

"You sound worried," she commented with a smirk.

"Call it that if you want," he teased.

"I ran into a vedek who recognized me. We talked for a while and fortunately she is the same height as I am. She mostly watched my face, not noticing anything suspicious," she paused, gesturing toward her abdomen. "But I won't be forgetting my robe again."

Sisko and Kira called Winn and Dukat into the security office several times over the next few days in hopes of catching more Maquis. After noticing that they were only finding a few people at a time, Kira decided to pay a certain Ferengi another visit. She sauntered into the bar and found Quark off to the side arranging a new shipment of Bajoran spring wine.

He looked over as she approached. "Colonel, what can I do for you this time?"

She leaned closed, whispering, "I need more information if you've got it. We suspect that several Maquis are here, but we're not seeing them."

A patron approached, asking for a glass of Earth gin. He spoke to Kira first. "I'm sorry, we're all out of that." Then he turned to his customer.

"Perhaps you've got something else then," she stated as the man left.

Looking from one side of the room to the other, he moved closer to her. "Someone as a dermal regenerator and they're using it on people for a fee. That's all I've heard. However, I'd be willing to hear more if you'll let my next shipment pass through."

Kira rolled her eyes. "Nice try, Quark. This is serious. I need to know if anything suspicious is going on. Ro Laren and several Maquis are still in the loose."

"Alright, I get the point. Just don't let the rest of the station know about it," he grumbled.

She smirked. "Of course not. I've got better things to do than ruin your miserly reputation," she teased as she left, heading in the direction of the tailor's shop.

Oriel greeted her with a smile. "Colonel Kira, nice to see you back. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I won't take up much of your time. I was looking for-"

"Your friend. Yes, she's here today," Oriel mentioned, pointing toward the back room.

Kira headed toward the table where she found Winn busily checking the row of buttons down the backs of three costume dresses that a group of young women wanted to use for a holosuit program version of Little Women. She looked up and smiled at the Colonel. "Hello, Nerys."

"Kai Winn- I mean…," for once Kira was unsure as to what to call the former Kai.

"Adami," the blonde woman substituted.

"Adami. I was wondering if you knew anything about a dermal regenerator that the Maquis might be using to disguise themselves," the colonel explained.

"I'm afraid I can't help you with that one," Winn replied.

Kira ran a hand through her hair. "Security just can't seem to keep up with them. I just haven't been able to replace Odo."

Winn folded one dress to move on to the next. "Don' t you have people who work under cover, child?"

"I should. I can't get volunteers lately," the colonel answered.

The blonde woman thought for a moment as she finished a button. "Come find me after my shift. I may have some ideas." Kira nodded and left.

When she returned later, she found Dukat in his robe walking with Winn. "You said you might have an idea?"

"Adami, what's this about?" Dukat inquired.

Winn smiled calmly. "Both of you, follow me," she instructed.

They continued walking until they reached Winn and Dukat's quarters. After entering, the three of them sat down on the couch. Winn first addressed Dukat. "The colonel needs someone to work under cover because the Maquis are using a dermal regenerator to hide from security."

"And you want to volunteer me?" he asked with a smirk.

Winn then looked at Kira. "You could alter Dukat to appear differently, not necessarily Bajoran, and also give him something that will alter his voice while he talks to them."

Dukat sat back in thought. "It's an interesting plan, but what are you and I getting out of this?"

She smiled genuinely at their shared need to trade one favor for another. _This is so simple. I can't believe neither one of us thought of this sooner. _"You told me that the Emissary said he would think about marrying us. If you spied for him, perhaps we could use it as something to bargain with."

He grinned. "I do believe I like this plan of yours."

Kira spoke up. "I think that you'd better talk to Sisko about the rest."

The three of them met with Sisko in his office. Sisko glanced up as the three entered. "Is there a problem, Colonel?" he asked, looking directly at Kira.

"First of all, the reason we haven't been able to catch many Maquis operatives is because someone is using a dermal regenerator. Winn and Dukat have offered to help find whoever's behind it," Kira explained. Sisko glanced at his folded hands, then back at the others.

"I can promise you that we don't have it, before you have the urge to interrogate us over the matter," Dukat stated. "If you would allow your doctor to alter my appearance and my voice temporarily, I could spy for you."

Sisko sighed and eyed the Cardassian with scrutiny. "How do I know this isn't some sort of trick to let you be Bajoran again?"

"You'll have to trust me for once," Dukat replied.

"Why should I agree to this? What did you want out of it?" Sisko probed.

Winn sat forward and spoke. "We only wish to be married under Bajoran ceremony. He'll find your Maquis agents if you agree to the wedding."

Sisko sat back and looked from one to the other, gauging their sincerity. After a long pause, he spoke again. "You two have yourselves a deal."

The following day, Dr. Bashir altered Dukat's appearance, changing it to that of a Bolian. Altering Dukat's voice was a simple as placing a bridge in someone's mouth. A small device that fit over his upper incisors contained a filter to change the voice of the user, altering the tone and the pitch.

Winn eyed his Bolian appearance with curiosity. "It really is a good disguise. I would never have recognized you."

"Let's hope that our Maquis acquaintances are of the same perception," Dukat mentioned, his voice sounding so foreign to her.

Kira had called and informed Talos that 'Dakin Solan' had to be called away for a week to inspect a few ships that she had found personally questionable. Dukat in his Bolian disguise wandered into Quark's bar, looking casually at the people around him. Quark was not working the bar that day, instead it was a dark-haired Bajoran woman in clothes only slightly more conservative than the Dabo girls.

There was a group of Bolians discussing whatever was on a few electronic data pads. Humans and Bajorans sat and chatted with drinks in their hands. Some Ferengi lingered at the Dabo tables, still trying to change their luck. However, Dukat also noticed several Cardassians eating and drinking. Since the war had ended and the Federation had volunteered to help the Cardassians rebuild some of their society, he had noticed more Cardassians aboard the station. _To hide from the enemy, they become the enemy. I suppose they did learn from the best_, Dukat thought smugly.

He watched them quietly, wondering why so many would be on the station at the same time. As he sat at the bar drinking a glass of Romulan ale, he looked at what the Cardassians were drinking and got his answer. None of them were drinking Kanar. They were all sipping either Bajoran spring wine or various human beverages. He moved to approach one of them when a Bolian tapped him on the shoulder.

"Did you have business with the Ferengi too?" the Bolian inquired.

Dukat shook his blue head. "No, actually I'm looking for someone willing to help with a few cosmetic concerns I've been having."

The Bolian shook his head and laughed. "Don't tell me, you want hair. I tell you the other humanoids here are fools. Hair is too much of a bother."

"Perhaps, but you wouldn't happen to know of anyone with a dermal regenerator, would you?" Dukat probed.

Looking from left to right, the Bolian leaned closer to Dukat. "You might ask one of the Cardassians here. I'm certain that most of them aren't Cardassians."

"Thank you," Dukat responded before leaving the bar.

As he was deciding which Cardassian to approach, he noticed a Cardassian woman sitting by herself, eating hasperat. "That doesn't look like a very Cardassian lunch," he said from behind her.

"A leftover preference from the Occupation," she replied in a voice Dukat found oddly familiar.

He stepped into her view and pulled out the chair across from her. "You should at least include a glass of Kanar then. The flavor goes reasonably well with hasperat," he remarked as he sat down.

She glared at him, as if berating him for having the audacity to sit by her. "I don't remember asking for your opinion on my meal."

"I'm just saying that it would look more Cardassian if you were eating sem'hal stew," Dukat relayed.

The woman raised an eyebrow and looked at him incredulously. "And what would a Bolian know about Cardassian food?"

He folded his hands on the table in front of him. "That would depend on what you know about a dermal regenerator."

Leaning closer, the woman whispered, "There is a man who used to be a surgeon. He's the one who has what you're looking for. If you can find me a few fake identification cards, then I'll take you to him. I'll be here tomorrow."

"Done," Dukat responded.

He left Quark's bar and headed to the temporary quarters that he had been assigned to. Then using a secure channel, he contacted Kira. "I have the information you wanted. I think we were on the right track, thinking that the Maquis have all changed their appearances. I spoke to a Cardassian woman whom I believe to be Ro Laren."

Kira's eyes widened. "Sounds like you've had a busy day. Have you found out who has the dermal regenerator yet?"

"She said if I would bring her false identification, then she would take me to him," Dukat relayed.

"You believe her?" Kira questioned.

"I'll make sure she follows through on this deal," he said with calm conviction.

Kira paused for a moment on her end, drumming her fingers on the desk. Then she turned back to him. "I'll give the papers to Adami and ask her to leave them in the tailor's shop. You can go in and pretend to be shopping," she suggested.

"That's not a bad idea," he responded.

After Dukat had ended the transmission, Kira went to work, making false identification documents. As she checked the time on the computer screen, she realized that Winn would be off work by then and decided to head toward the former kai's quarters. Winn heard the door chime and opened it to let in Kira.

"Hello, Nerys. What brings you by?" she inquired, hoping that perhaps the colonel had word regarding Dukat.

Kira stepped in, allowing the doors to swish closed behind her. "Dukat's under-cover plan is working, but he needs these documents in order to follow this further. You can leave them somewhere in the tailor's shop and he can get them tomorrow."

Winn nodded. "I'll do that. How is he? Will he be finished soon?"

She offered the younger woman a place on the couch and both women sat. "He shouldn't be much longer if his contact is legitimate."

The blonde woman raised an eyebrow. "And if the contact isn't?"

"I plan on having a security team out of uniform in the area, following him at a distance," Kira revealed.

Winn nodded. "He doesn't know that though, does he?"

Kira fiddled with her hands for a moment. "Let's just say that it's better for his cover if he doesn't."

The former kai took time to study the woman in front of her. Kira had accepted the nomination as kai and the voting had continued on Bajor. The younger woman would be helping Dukat, whom she publicly hated, as part of this assignment to catch the Maquis. _It is a strange universe we live in_, Winn mused. "How have you been lately?" Winn questioned.

Kira shrugged. "I'm fine. Though, if I do for end up elected kai, as unlikely as I think that is, I'll have to train someone to take my job as head of security."

"And you will need training as well, child. I have a few people on Bajor who might be willing to help you," Winn relayed.

"I appreciate the thought, but the 'if' I win is a pretty big 'if,'" Kira said with a smirk.

In the morning as Oriel was looking through a few inventory lists, Winn left the documents underneath a pile of folded sweaters. Later that day, a familiar Bolian wandered in as other people were looking through the shop's products. Not knowing where Winn had placed the documents, Dukat began looking through the folded pants.

Oriel noticed the newcomer and walked over to him. "Hello, can I help you with something?"

He turned and smiled politely at her. "No thank you, this is my first stay on the station and I was seeing what products it had to offer."

"Well, let me know if I can help you. We also do repair work," she mentioned.

_Problem solved_. "Do you? I'm glad you mentioned that. Is there anyone here who could give me advice on how to fix a few buttons?"

Oriel nodded. "Sure. My assistant is in the back room at the moment, but I'm sure she'd be happy to help you."

Dukat entered the back room to find Winn busily sewing zippers onto dresses. She looked up and blinked in surprise as he entered. "I'm looking for advice on how to fix a button."

"Is it on a shirt or a jacket?" she inquired, catching his eye.

"A jacket," he responded.

Pretending that he was a customer, she motioned for him to come closer as she brought out a sweater with buttons. Once they were standing side by side, the game stopped. "It isn't that I'm not glad to see you, but what are you doing here?" she probed.

"I can't find the documents," he relayed, pausing to give her hand a squeeze.

Oriel passed by and Dukat moved toward the door. "You really should look at our new stock in sweaters," Winn told him.

He smiled sadly, knowing that any further interaction could blow his cover. Then he left her and headed toward the sweaters. As Oriel worked at the register, Dukat removed the documents from underneath the sweaters. Then he left the tailor's shop and proceeded to Quark's bar.

Quickly he spotted the same Cardassian woman. Today she was sipping a glass of Kanar, but frowning deeply after each sip. "That's not very convincing either," he remarked from behind her. She jumped and then turned to face him.

"It's just a bad year of Kanar," she responded.

He sat across from her and produced the documents. She looked through them and smiled. As she put them in a brown handbag that she had placed on the floor, he spoke again. "You have what you wanted. Now it's your turn."

She grinned mischievously. "Yes it is, but suddenly I'm not so sure if he's still on the station."

They both stood and she turned as if to leave. He caught her sharply by the elbow. "I know people here who could make your life miserable. A couple of Nausican friends won't care what papers you have. I suggest you follow through with your end, or you'll get to meet my friends."

A moment of genuine panic flickered in her eyes, but it was replaced by cold steel. "I thought Bolians could take a joke. Follow me," she spat in a whisper.

The two left the bar and walked down the Promenade for a while, until they were standing in a slightly more deserted end of the station. She led Dukat to a doorway blocked by a thick green curtain. The glow from a yellow light trickled out from underneath into the hall. "He's in there," she told him. Then she turned to leave him.

He grabbed the upper portion of her arm near her shoulder. "I'm not letting you go until I see his face."

"I brought you here. I don't owe you anything," she snapped.

"Let's go inside, Ro Laren," he stated.

Dukat drew back the curtain with one hand while the other kept a firm grip on her. A man was seated at a round table, a med-kit in front of him. He looked up, his gaze on the woman. "Back again? Was something wrong with the makeup?" the small Bajoran man asked.

Ro glared at Dukat. "This man wanted to see you."

As the man studied him, Dukat realized that he had also been physically altered. However, an object on the shelf behind the man reminded Dukat of something he had seen. The small blue kneeling figurine was made of a particular stone on Cardassia. "Dr. Merick," Dukat said.

The man looked at him, wide-eyed. "You know me? How could you know me? I worked for the Dominion until Cardassia was freed."

"Let's just say you have a reputation," the Bolian in disguise stated.

Merick then focused only on the other man's eyes. A macabre smirk spread over his face. "Federation doesn't do half as good a job. The should've made your eyes look Bolian."

"If he's not a Bolian, than who is he?" Ro asked.

"Gul Dukat, of course," the doctor replied.

Ro jerked free of him and began to look for a weapon. She grabbed an old curtain rod that had been sitting on the floor. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but you're not going to fool me anymore!" she seethed, raising the rod to strike Dukat.

Suddenly the curtain was yanked back and Kira's security team stood, wearing plain clothes, phasers poised to shoot. "Somebody here's under arrest. Until I figure out who, all of you are coming with me," the man at the front said.

The three were placed in separate cells until Kira appeared to sort the matter out. She let Dukat go without a word. Then she turned to the other two. "War's over, Ro. Peacetime is here whether we want it or not."

Ro crossed her arms indignantly. "You just let Gul Dukat walk out of here."

"Right now you two are the only witnesses and neither of you is all that credible at this point," Kira mentioned. Then she turned toward Merick. "Along with helping to disguise members of the Maquis, you were also working for the Dominion. If you can give me a list of names of the Maquis you've done work on, then your sentence might be less severe."

Merick, being a pragmatic man, nodded in compliance. Ro turned to Kira. "I notice you didn't make me the same offer."

"I know my enemies," Kira remarked as she left the room.

Dukat had gone over to sickbay and after a few hours had his usual face back. Kira entered as Bashir finished. "Colonel, what a surprise to see you here," he stated, his voice alteration having been removed also.

She rolled her eyes. "Much as it pains me to tell you this, the Maquis on the station are as good as caught and we have you to thank for it."

Dukat smirked. "Glad to help, Colonel. Though I must admit that your team had fantastic timing, coming from all over the station in a matter of seconds. It wasn't as if I was being followed," he said smoothly.

Both adversaries shook hands as Dr. Bashir released him. Soon he was at his own quarters. Winn heard the chime and opened the door. Seeing him enter, she smiled broadly and hugged him. "I'm glad you're alright."

He kissed the top of her head as they walked further into the room. "So you've missed me," he teased.

She smiled slyly, looking over at the replicator. "I would've had to resort to the maintenance crew of you hadn't shown up to fix the replicator."

Laughing heartily, he let her go and went in search of the toolbox he had used the last time it had malfunctioned. "So how did the mission turn out?" she asked as he worked.

"I'll have to tell you over dinner," he replied, turning to face her. Seeing her smile at him he thought, _Perhaps 'normal' isn't so bad after all_.

(My thanks to RedSkyAtDawn for reviewing :D)


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